Multinational Crews on Panama Canal Tugs and Pilot Boats? Universal Glow-in-the-Dark Symbols Reduce Language Barriers

Every day, the Panama Canal relies on a large fleet of tugs, pilot boats and service craft. Crews come from Latin America, Europe and Asia, and language differences can complicate emergency communication on compact vessels. Text-only English labels are not enough to guarantee instant understanding when seconds count.

Canal service companies have therefore started deploying IMO maritime symbol signs glow in the dark stickers on small craft. Standardized pictograms for lifejackets, fire stations, emergency exits and muster areas are printed onto glow in the dark film and applied throughout wheelhouses, machinery spaces and decks. Because the symbols follow International Maritime Organization standards, most seafarers recognize them immediately without reading any text.

In blackout or smoke conditions, the luminous stickers provide their own light after being charged by daylight or onboard lighting, making routes and equipment locations instantly visible. For the Panama Canal Authority and its contractors, this graphical, self-illuminating approach enhances safety across a highly international workforce, while reducing the need for multiple language versions and simplifying future updates.