Safety is paramount on naval ships, which is why the Swedish Navy specified Altro Transflor Gallium – the polyacrylate safety flooring for the maritime sector – for two of its mine counter-measure (minesweeper) ships – HMS Landsort, based in Karlskrona, and HMS Arholma, based in Stockholm.
These ships are used to exercise control of sea areas, shipping and fishery interests, can engage surface vessels and underwater targets in coastal waters and the open sea, and also carry out mine clearance.
The flooring – in the shade of ‘Fog’ – was installed as part of a refurbishment programme on board the ships, and replaced existing rubber flooring, which had become worn. The new flooring can be found in both ships on the centre aisle on the main decks – areas that have to cope with extremely high footfall – and provides a safe, slip resistance surface even when wet.
Ingemar Sunesson, maintenance engineer at the Swedish Navy, comments: “The Swedish Navy requires a flooring material that meets the IMO certifications for fire and toxicity. Altro Transflor Gallium is able to meet these requirements, making the product ideal for both HMS Landsort and HMS Arholma. Altro Transflor was also able to provide us with a wide range of colours to choose from and advised on all aspects of the installation. We are very pleased with the new flooring, which looks great on-board both ships.”
Altro Transflor Gallium is the polyacrylate safety flooring that is fully compliant with strict MED and IMO Fire Test Procedures (IMO FTP) Code requirements, which also provides first-class hygiene protection to reduce the spread of germs. For a ship where safety on board is a key priority, specifiers can reassured that Altro Transflor Gallium meets the strictest safety requirements.
Simon Andrews, maritime sales manager at Altro, comments: “The project with the Swedish Navy showcased Altro Transfor Gallium’s safety credentials as well as its durability. The existing floor had become extremely worn, which meant the safety of the crew could have been compromised. Not only is Gallium extremely safe due to its anti-slip properties, it is very hard-wearing, and has exceptional resistance to UV rays. All these things mean it is the perfect product for ships, where ensuring the safety of those on-board is maintained.”