As specialists in medical and safety technology, Dräger, has supported the City of Derry Airport in modernising its suite of personal protection equipment (PPE) and protocols to safeguard its Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) from incident-based safety risk, as well as the threat posed by carcinogens to which they are often exposed.
The airport’s fire service provides aircraft safeguarding and an emergency response service for terminal buildings and low-traffic collisions on-site. Various different products were assessed to protect employees and to help avoid exposure to carcinogens which are released when modern plastics and polymers found in buildings and aircraft burn.
Dräger’s HPS Safeguard helmet, which is fast to put on and easy to use with various external devices, such as thermal imaging cameras and lamps, easily attached to it compared to existing equipment was chosen, as was Dräger’s PSS AirBoss self-contained breathing apparatus. With its light weight and best-in-class ergonomics the breathing apparatus will reduce the physical strain on individuals.
The products will be covered by Dräger’s TotalCare Agreement, which means the firefighting and rescue crew and their equipment will benefit from maintenance, inspection and preventative care. According to Gerard McCloskey, Safety and Fire Officer at Derry Airport, “The spares facility will guarantee equipment uptime and fill short term gaps should the need arise.”
The TotalCare Service includes engineer callouts, routine checks and calibrations and advice on equipment best practice.
Elizabeth Millward, Marketing Manager at Dräger Safety UK said: “Firefighters must be protected and the progressive approach that the City of Derry Airport is taking towards meeting the new health and safety service standards is particularly impressive.”
