Known as “ THE ROLL’S ROYCE OF MARINE LOCKS” , F.LLI RAZETO & CASARETO S.P.A, was founded in 1920 and has always been making marine hardware in Italy.
In 2000, THE INNOVATION AND DESIGN DEPARTMENT of the company was founded with a precise task: BRINGING A REVOLUTION IN THE WORLD OF DOOR HANDLES.
“We invented luminous handles with Safety, Managements, Entertainment features, with an eye to beauty.” States Giangi Razeto, creative director of the company.
Applications are countless, the most interesting ones referring to fire doors, not only, as handles communicate among themselves and with other devices to give management information throughout universal chromatic codes, they may be programmed at each time to respond to specific needs… according to the Ship Owners’ requirements.
The Razeto & Casareto luminous handle is a revolutionary product with a patented mechanism used most notably in ultra-luxe and exclusive designer handles for the high-end yachting segment. The acronym translates as Our Souls Saved by the Handle as Razeto & Casareto had developed this new version specifically for applications in the onboard safety sector.
The OSSH handle meets and exceeds international safety requirements to the extent that it is a Best Practice product. It is aimed at shipping companies and yards alike, for installation aboard ferries, commercial vessels and cruise ships. Its luminous handles are easily visible aboard even in very extreme and life-threatening situations. More impressively still, they clearly indicate threat levels by colour: they will glow red when a doorway should not be opened and green to indicate the door as a possible escape route.
Under current legislation, escape routes on ships must be highlighted using so-called Low Location Lighting (LLL) on all decks and along all corridors leading to fire doors. The integration of the OSSH luminous handles with the LLL system adds an important extra layer of safety by clearly indicating where doors are in critically low visibility caused by a lack of light, during an evacuation plan or in the presence of smoke during a fire.
Should flames take hold aboard, the smoke and fire alarm system alerts the bridge, legislation then demands that the bridge releases the electromagnetic holders on the fire doors in the relevant fire zones. When the door locks close they activate micro-switches inside the frame and these send a confirmation signal that the door is now closed back to the bridge.
At this point, legislation demands that an operator physically go to check if there is an actual fire or not by removing a glove and placing the back of a hand near the door handle without opening it. If any unusual heat is felt, there is a fire. The OSSH handle system instantly intervenes and works efficiently to safeguard passengers, guests and staff aboard. As soon as sensors indicate a fire, the electromagnetic door holders are released by the bridge and the locks on the fire doors close, activating the micro-switches. At this point, the door handles light up green on the side of the fire zone in question and red on the outside.
Used in tandem with the LLL system, the luminous handle does not merely help light spaces but also by glowing green on the fireside, instantly indicates to panicking individuals the best routes for evacuation to safety.
The handle was also designed to work absolutely efficiently in even the most extreme situations. Its shape too has been crafted to make the light visible to and the handle itself usable by people lying on the ground. In fire situations when a space fills with smoke, anyone attempting escape will have to crawl along the ground where there is less smoke. With the OSSH, the handle lever is lower and thus not only easier to see from the ground but also easier to grasp and use.
Handles on the opposite side to the fire glow red to indicate very clearly that there is a fire on the other side of the door. This avoids the door being mistakenly opened and oxygen getting in that would further fuel the fire. Equally, it prevents smoke and flames from escaping to other areas of the vessel.
Quick and easy to fit on board, OSSH handles are available in kit for new built or retrofit.
