Survitec unveiled a new emergency descent system in Bilbao, Spain.
Evacuator, dubbed by the company as the world’s first fire-proof emergency descent system, is designed to evacuate people in time-critical emergency situations at altitudes of 6m to 300m. It can be fire-proofed to 1750°C for 30 minutes.
The evacuation system is fully mechanical and does not require electricity or any other power to operate. The descent is fully automatic at a controlled speed of one meter per second. It is designed for use on all high-rise structures, including wind turbines, offshore substations, harbor cranes and other structures that previously relied on rope-based rescue descent devices, or in some cases had no emergency evacuation options.
The emergency descent system is installed using four or six bolts that connect it to a solid surface. It is very easy to use with a ‘click on and go’ mechanism. Each steel cable allows for multiple people to descend at once, providing their combined weight does not exceed 282kg.
The Evacuator is available in three off-the-shelf models. Selection is based on structure height at 50m, 140m and 300m. Survitec’s project team is also on hand to support bespoke design for new build and retrofit projects. A full suite of personal protective equipment (PPE) can be included in an Evacuation Chest alongside the Evacuator device to simplify and complete a safe escape.