ABS updates the Guide for Passenger Comfort on Ships

The American Bureau of Shipping on 1 September 2023 released the updated Guide for Passenger Comfort on Ships.

For the September 2023 edition, Appendix 2, Procedure Requirements for ABS Recognized Ambient Environmental Testing Specialists, is updated.

Introduction

ABS recognizes the positive impact that suitable comfort criteria and design practices may have on the comfort, safety, and overall well-being of passengers.

The ABS Guide for Passenger Comfort on Ships has been developed with the objective of providing criteria that will assist in improving the comfort of the passengers on board passenger vessels.

These comfort criteria have been chosen to provide a means to increase the comfort, enjoyment and satisfaction of passengers.

Application

ABS has produced this Guide for Passenger Comfort on Ships in order to provide a single source for comfort criteria suitable for passenger ships.

This Guide may be applied to passenger vessels carrying more than twelve (12) passengers used for such purposes as commuting, traveling, vacationing and recreating.

This includes cruise ships and ferries (conventional and high-speed craft).

This Guide is applicable to new and existing passenger vessels for which an optional Comfort (COMF) or a Comfort Plus (COMF+) notation has been requested.

The comfort criteria are a measure of the acceptability of passenger accommodation areas and their associated ambient environmental criteria.

Scope

The Guide focuses on four (4) comfort aspects of passenger ship design and layout that can be controlled, measured, and assessed.

The ambient environmental aspects of comfort pertain to the environment that the passengers are exposed to on board vessels.

Specifically, this Guide provides criteria, limits and measurement methodologies for the following:

• i) Whole-body Vibration
• ii) Noise
• iii) Indoor Climate
• iv) Lighting.

The criteria provided in this Guide are based on currently available research data and standards for the purpose of providing a base level of passenger comfort.

This Guide does not specifically address passenger safety since safety is comprehensively covered by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Flag Administrations, Class Society Rules and Port States.

However, where appropriate, compliance with this Guide may warrant an enhancement in some safety systems on board the vessel.

The various criteria, test conditions, measurement locations, test methods and instruments required by this Guide may differ from the more rigorous and scientific methods reported and practiced elsewhere by the scientific community.

They were, however, selected with the aim of providing a practical Guide that could be applied internationally by ABS and vessel Owners/shipbuilders with reliability and acceptable validity.

While producing this Guide, ABS has taken a practical approach to measurements, test personnel (Testing Specialists) and test equipment.

This document became effective on 1 September 2023.

If you need more information, please visit the ABS Rules and Guides page, where the document is available FOR FREE.