Thermal requirements for surviving a mass rescue incident in the Arctic: project update

Abstract

Passengers on cruise ships and aircraft traveling through the Arctic could expect to wait days for rescue, depending on weather and availability of large rescue craft. However, current standards do not specify thermal insulation for the equipment such as SOLAS* immersion suits or a Canadian Forces air-droppable survival kit that may be available to survivors. “MASSERT” is conducting a 3-year Transport Canada/SAR NIF-funded study to refine and validate long-term survival models and to recommend suitable thermal protection systems based on human experiments conducted in simulated arctic conditions in a lifeboat or air-droppable tent.