Use of a simulation is a practical and safe way to illustrate and analyse extreme situations onboard vessels. Deltamarin has an efficient simulation tool, which allows evacuation analysis according to the SOLAS requirements and also extended analysis including human behaviour and various evacuation conditions. The evacuation simulation tool has been developed in co-operation with Strathclyde University.

The SOLAS regulation II-2/28-1.3 requires that the escape routes of ro-ro passenger ships constructed on or after July 1999 should be evaluated by an evacuation analysis early in the design process.
Some real situations have pointed out the significance of human behaviour in a distress situation: for example, 15% of passengers will be unable to act at all and 60% will not act without instructions from crew.

The simulation has to take into account ship heeling and movements, blackout and smoke-in-corridor situations, panicking passengers, role of the crew and passengers returning back to the cabin to collect their luggage. Also passenger age, intoxication and mobility impairment has to be included. Simulation can include combinations of human behaviour in several conditions, random location of passengers, all passengers gathered into the same area and several what-if cases. With an evacuation simulation it is also possible to simulate situations with casualties.

Deltamarin has carried out several evacuation analyses for ro-ro passenger vessels according to the current SOLAS regulations. Also the first passenger evacuation simulations with human behaviour and various evacuation conditions have been made for a Royal Caribbean International cruise ship.