Peru has a strong coastal and deep-sea fishing industry. Fishing vessels often operate in environments with high humidity, heavy salt spray and low visibility. Engine room failures, temporary deck-light blackouts and dense fog are not unusual. In darkness, narrow passageways and steep stairways become dangerous. Many fishermen describe the situation bluntly: “Either you know the route by heart, or once it goes dark, you’re lost.”
In this scenario, more vessels are adopting combined luminous marking solutions—a mix of narrow glow in the dark tapes and small IMO symbol stickers. Based on 0.62 m × 45.7 m luminous rolls, the material can be cut into strips or small plates as needed. 5 cm wide luminous tapes can be laid continuously along stair edges leading to the deck and along both sides of main interior corridors, forming clear “light lines”. Standard IMO symbols cut from the roll are placed next to doors, fire extinguishers, muster points and lifesaving equipment.
This glow in the dark film uses an approx. 240 μm PVC luminous layer with a pressure-sensitive acrylic adhesive and 145 gsm double PE coated release paper, combining flexibility with weather resistance. It bonds well to coated bulkheads, metal handrails and plastic equipment surfaces. Common colors include green, blue, blue-green, white, orange, yellow and pink, making it easy to color-code different functional areas.
During daily operation, the photoluminescent layer continuously absorbs natural and interior light. Typically 10–30 minutes of exposure is enough to store energy so it can glow for hours in total darkness. For Peruvian vessel owners, this is a way to significantly improve night-time escape visibility without major structural changes. Instead of rebuilding bulkheads and stairs, they can use port calls or off-season downtime to have crew apply luminous markings along planned routes—turning “groping in the dark” into “following the glowing arrows.”