01-01-2004
“We are ready and able to respond as soon as we get the call,” says Tony Hughes Managing Director of Hughes Safety Showers, Britain’s leading supplier of decontamination showers and ancillary equipment. His comments followed concerns raised by a National Audit Office report that claims a quarter of hospitals and a third of ambulance services do not have adequate plans for a terrorist attack and lack the necessary equipment.

“We supply emergency services around the world, as well as in Britain, with decontamination equipment capable of treating up to 300 people an hour in the event of a biological, chemical, radiological or nuclear attack.” said Tony. “The equipment is available now and has been tested under a wide range of conditions. It’s one certain way to save lives in a major incident.”

Inflatable decontamination shelters can be quickly erected within hospital grounds. Walking and stretchered casualties are treated before entering the building, eliminating the risk of potentially dangerous substances being carried into the hospital. Ideally, this decontamination is carried out well away from the main hospital building although where necessary, walk-through shelters can be positioned at doors to process casualties as they enter.

“Decontaminating casualties at the scene is by far the best option and likely to save more lives,” says Tony. “Early treatment means a better chance of survival.”
Portable mass decontamination shelters can be carried on emergency service vehicles and erected in minutes. As well as providing a fast response, shelters used at the scene of an incident can help to reduce the pressure on hospital accident and emergency departments and prevent the contamination of ambulances which would otherwise have to be withdrawn from service for cleaning.

“September 11th taught us many lessons,” confirms Tony. “Perhaps the most important was that no matter how well prepared our front line services are, there is always the risk that they will be overstretched immediately after an attack. For this reason it is absolutely essential that hospitals have their own decontamination facilities to provide a second line of defence to back-up the emergency services in the field.”

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