Often one of the most overlooked details when designing and building a ship is taking preventative measures to help the navigation bridge crew deal with the sun. For many years wipers have been installed on ships with clear view screens to provide navigation safety in rainy or stormy weather but often the captain has little or no help when the sun presents a problem.
Given that vessels operate on fixed courses they can often find themselves sailing into the sun. Unlike a car where flip-down visors can provide some relief, the captain has to just deal with the situation he finds himself in. Heat and glare can become unbearable causing eyestrain and fatigue which increases the risk of human error occurring (the biggest cause of shipping incidents according to the MAIB in 2005).
SOLASOLV® anti glare roller blinds for ships rejects up to 93% of glare and 87% of heat from the sun whilst providing a 100% clear view. They eliminate eyestrain and prevent fatigue creating a cool and more comfortable working environment for the bridge crew.
To date there are more than 176,275 SOLASOLV® anti glare roller blinds on 18,250 vessels worldwide and a large proportion are retro-fitted which suggests they are considered more of an afterthought when building a ship rather than an essential navigation safety aid.
