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Emergency signage

as one of the leading manufacturers of marine equipment directive certiication Supplying signage to shipyards has
photo luminescent signs.by Lloyds for this purpose. The same “reduced signiicantly” for one supplier

Even though it is now a requirement material is used as standard for all photo who has seen fewer new vessels being
to have ire safety signs lit up on a luminescent signs.built since the economic crisis.

vessel, Maritime Progress believes The company, based in Surrey, UK, Marketing Director Caroline Pong
says that competition remains ierce and
more emphasis should be made on its also produces tactile version of the signs
importance in the UK.that enables blind or visually impaired that customers are still choosing cheap

Mr Egan said: “In the States after people to be able use them in the cases prices over good quality.
the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the Twin of emergency.Marifor, based in Shanghai, China,

Towers in New York, the one thing that In addition to supplying signage was the irst company to offer photo
the ire service said was the biggest Maritime Progress has recently luminescent signs to China. It supplies

help to them was that they had photo published a handy A5 lip chart giving signs to ship chandlers and shipyards.
luminescent signs so they could see hints and tips on how to stay safe. It The company produces signage to

where they were going. When you have has been distributed among businesses shipyards based on the drawings they
that situation and you have the smoke and schools in the UK, but it can also provide. The materials it uses include

obliterating the whole building having be useful to port operations. Maritime photo luminescent, white vinyl, vinyl,
Progress is in the process of putting steel and brass. The company has seen
photo luminescent is an absolute must.
“The marine industry has been together one speciically for the marine sales slide in this side of the business

using photo luminescent for quiteindustry that can be used on vessels in over the last few years as the number
a few years now – we have been particular.of new vessels being built reduced

developing it for the last 20 yearsMr Egan added: “Although we are signiicantly during the recession.
– but the signs weren’t as good asa maritime business, the lipchart isIt also exports various safety signs

they are now. Fire safety regulationa bit of an oddity because it’s not a regulated by the IMO and published in
on ships now mean that all ire signs marine product, it is really aimed at the IMPA catalogue to ship chandlers

should be photo luminescent, butland businesses. We are currently in worldwide. This side of the business
there still doesn’t seem to be a huge the process of putting together one has remained stable because of its

amount of importance on the rest of speciically for the marine industry, “commitment to always providing high-
which could be used onboard ships,quality products.”
the businesses in the UK. When 9/11
happened the Mayor of New York in particular cruise liners. There are Mrs Pong said: “Just like any

indicated that businesses with a certain other ships that would ind it useful as other business, competition is very
number of loors had to have photo well like large ships with small crews ierce. Under the present economic

luminescent signs on their stairwells. and in the ports, because you havesituation sometimes customers are
This regulation was then brought in a lot of people going through, which only concerned with the prices and not

across the rest of America, but there’s can provide a lot of hazards. We are quality. For example, with the photo
nothing like that in the UK. They also currently distributing it to a lot of luminescent signage the key factor is

seem to be gradually enforcing it in ofices and schools in the UK. The how long it will last in total darkness
other countries.”lipchart includes things like drowning, after absorbing the light for some

Photo luminescent material stores poisoning, choking and burns. All of hours. Our products can last for eight
energy from a light source and releases these things occur on ships, as well as to 12 hours, both the brightness and

the light energy in darkness. Thereland businesses.”illumination time could guarantee to lead

must always be enough light to activate Maritime Progress also produces the way out in an emergency. Otherwise
the material while the brightness and safety posters to be used onboardsome cheap quality products could do

period of glow depends on the grade ships – and the posters have recently nothing, they are just decoration and of
and thickness of pigment used. Maritime hit the big screen being featured in ilms no use at all. In this case in order to win

Progress photo luminescent material including Next starring Nicholas Cage the market, companies like us have to
exceeds the glow properties required and a new ilm coming out from ABC reduce the prices and make small proits

for low location lighting system and hasStudios called Code Black.but guarantee the quality level.” u

24 The SHIP Supplier Issue 67 2015