Dräger launches connected multi-gas detector

by Featured NewsProducts

Dräger has launched a mobile gas detector, the X-am 2800, which connects with Dräger’s Gas Detection Connect cloud solution to automate the real-time sharing of live data regarding gases firefighters are exposed to in emergency situations.

Users can choose from sensors for flammable gases and vapours, as well as oxygen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide.

Approved for use in Ex zone 0, a classified area in which an explosive gas atmosphere is present continuously or for long period, the X-am 2800 has been tested according to protection class IP68. T

he X-am 2800 features a newly engineered CatEX sensor, which has been independently drop test certified at a height of >2m, to ensure a robust and resilient design, critical in emergency rescue environments.

With integrated Bluetooth connectivity, live gas readings and alerts that can be transferred in real-time to Dräger’s Gas Detection Connect cloud solution. providing users with secure access to critical data at any time, from anywhere through an internet browser.

Liz Millward, Marketing Manager, Emergency and Rescue Services at Dräger Safety UK, says that the release of the X-am 2800 builds upon the modern-day focus on connectivity and data within contemporary firefighting: “The role of a manufacturer today is to utilise all available technologies to support firefighter safety and rescue operations, placing the health and wellbeing of our service personnel at the forefront of all that we do.

“With an added focus on connectivity, we can provide a robust, future-proofed solution to be used now and for years to come.”

Dräger prepares product showcase for Emergency Services Show

by Featured NewsProducts

Dräger is set to showcase five fire safety technologies designed to further firefighter health and wellbeing at this year’s Emergency Services Show (ESS): the FireGround Accountability System; the newly launched BG ProAir (Long Duration); the PSS AirBoss; Dräger’s cleaning solution; and the FireCore thermal imaging camera.

Dräger’s FireGround Accountability System will take centre stage; a system that provides emergency teams with the ability to monitor, communicate and report incidents involving active users of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA).

Dräger’s next generation SCBA, the PSS AirBoss, will also be a focus of the stand alongside the new Dräger BG ProAir designed to protect firefighters attending long-duration deployments. The UCF FireCore hands-free thermal imaging camera will also be exhibited on the stand. Visitors to Dräger’s stand will also receive information on its mechanical cleaning solution.

Liz Millward, Marketing Manager Emergency and Rescue Services at Dräger Safety UK, says that the ESS will be an opportunity for the team to highlight Dräger’s dedication to ensuring firefighters return home safely at the end of each shift:

“With a focus not just on connectivity, but also supporting increased workforce diversity, our latest technologies are designed with all genders, ages and ethnicities in mind; consolidating our commitment to the health, safety and welfare of our emergency service personnel in an industry where they risk their lives for the safety of others.”

“We are excited to return to ESS and look forward to showcasing the advanced capabilities of our latest products.”

Drager wins iF design awards for PSS AirBoss and HPS Safeguard

by Featured NewsProducts

Dräger has been awarded two iF Design Awards for its PSS AirBoss self-contained breathing apparatus and HPS SafeGuard helmet for excellence in their respective idea, form, function, differentiation and impact.

Dräger’s PSS AirBoss achieved its iF Design Award for its ‘high adaptability to the user’s ergonomics, needs and mission, providing the best possible protection and agility in challenging environments’. The judges also reported that it has ‘excellent weight distribution and optimal fit which allow the user to operate freely and fully concentrate on the task at hand’. PSS AirBoss’ communication links, highly-visible decals and integrated lighting were also said to support teamwork and safety. 

The ultra-light Dräger HPS SafeGuard helmet was commended for an ‘innovative design that combines optimal protection with the highest levels of wearing comfort’. It was also praised for the design’s ‘optimal operability’ even in the most challenging of environments, and ‘excellent ergonomics’. Overall, the judges reported that its ‘sporty look, lightweight and tailor-made accessories make the helmet a real all-rounder for any challenge’.

Elizabeth Millward, Marketing Manager at Dräger Safety UK, says the awards are a testament to years of development: “The research and development and design process happens in conjunction with fire services, industry, medical and educational organisations to ensure that our safety products and systems deliver the utmost in safety – crucially – whilst also providing user comfort for a wide variety of heights, weights and body forms. We’re immensely pleased to have been recognised in such a prestigious international awards’ scheme.”

The iF Design Awards are recognised as a symbol of design excellence around the world, with this year’s entries coming from a total of 49 countries. Each entry is scored during a three-day process where submissions are evaluated, discussed and scored in the Wilhelm Hallen exhibition space in Berlin by 75 international design experts.

Dräger launches compact thermal imaging camera

by Featured NewsProductsThermal Imaging

Dräger, an international leader in the fields of medical and safety technology, has launched the UCF FireVista, a thermal imaging camera (TIC) that can be activated one-handed with just one button, providing split-second access to critical visual support within a firefighting incident.

TICs provide vital insight when visibility is significantly reduced due to fire, smoke or darkness, thereby supporting firefighters whilst attending the most challenging environments. They deliver vital intelligence in locating casualties and helping locate the seat of a fire, so that it can be rapidly extinguished.

With the ability to detect even the smallest change in temperature, and providing a clear contrast between walls, doors and stairs, the UCF FireVista proves especially useful in detecting hotspots when a fire is behind cladding or in a building’s void. It therefore limits invasive physical damage as emergency teams have less need to strip out the fabric of a building to reach the fire.  

The UFC FireVista is compact, robust and features an ergonomic design and almost indestructible outer shell. It can withstand mechanical stresses and its IP67 protection class guarantees that is water and dust resistant. A fast frame rate and ultra-high image picture quality deliver a quick overview of an incident even under the most difficult operating conditions.

Weighing only 870g, the UFC FireVista is one of the lightest thermal imaging cameras currently on the market. This helps increase the mobility and reduce the physical strain placed on the firefighter.

The camera has an operating time of approximately five hours, due to its powerful rechargeable battery, which gives enough leeway for longer deployments. The camera is virtually maintenance-free, and the integrated battery has a lifetime of approx. 4000 charging cycles.

The compact and intuitive camera is easy to use and operate, with just one on/off switch, which means it can deliver vital information in seconds. 

Liz Millward, Marketing Manager Emergency and Rescue Services at Draeger Safety UK, says the UFC FireVista is an excellent addition to the range: “Dräger’s thermal imaging cameras are designed to supply firefighters with vital information during any incident where visibility is impaired, whether as a result of smoke or an underground or collapsed environment. The UFC FireVista is an important tool when speed, straightforward functionality and high-quality imaging are required,” she says. 

“Ultimately, it supports firefighters’ ability to save the lives of others and to protect their own safety.”

Drager partners with the Fire Service College

by Featured NewsHealthcareIndustry Sectors

Dräger, a medical and safety technology company, has partnered with Fire Service College (FSC). Together furthering technical innovation through the optimisation of SCBA product development, firefighter training and communications. 

The FSC, owned by Capita, delivers training to all UK fire and rescue teams, as well as defence, national resilience and critical national infrastructure, and is recognised as an international leader with delegates from across the globe regularly utilising its expertise and facilities. Located on a 320-acre former Royal Air Force airfield, more than 7,000 delegates a year train using every scenario imaginable across domestic and industrial buildings, a ship, aircraft, motorway, train set/station and high-rise buildings – all of which are used for real fire and rescue scenarios on a daily basis. The FSC puts a strong emphasis on interoperability and large-scale exercises.

Dräger’s relationship with the FSC spans more than three decades, and includes the provision of SCBA sets supported by bespoke training. FSC instructors are in an ideal position to provide feedback that supports product development, and to act as product ambassadors to demonstrate the manufacturer’s commitment to firefighter safety.   

As part of the new partnership, Dräger will provide the new PSS AirBoss Connect SCBA kits including telemetry, face masks, communications, and cylinders. And in reinvigorating the relationship there will be further joint activities to ensure delegates are provided with the latest developments and industry insight.

Dominik Wellmann, MD, of the FSC, said the partnership supports the college’s goal to use market leading, technical innovation. He said: “A key part of our responsibilities as a world-leading provider of emergency services training is investing in state-of-the-art kit that delivers optimum safety to all of our delegates. As the global leader in fire safety equipment, we recognise Dräger as the ideal partner to support this goal.”

Matthew Bedford, managing director sales and service added: “We’re very pleased to see the new AirBoss SCBA being utilised at the FSC and look forward to receiving feedback. The partnership enables us to support our industry and learn from it. It’s an invaluable long-standing relationship from which everyone wins.”

Dräger helps reduce Firefighter’s risk of exposure to carcinogens

by ActiveProducts

Dräger has launched a range of solutions for cleaning breathing apparatus, respiratory masks and PPE equipment that reduce the risk of carcinogen contamination within emergency teams as part of its Health for the Firefighter campaign.

Dräger

Dräger has worked in partnership with Harstra instruments, a Dutch manufacturer of cleaning and drying equipment. The launch follows a study undertaken by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) which demonstrated a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) worn and evaluated as fully operational will be contaminated within 25 minutes of use in firefighting situations.

Currently, most masks and SCBA are cleaned by hand, which is a lengthy and inconsistent process. It can also pose potential hazards for personnel. Dräger has therefore developed a package of solutions comprising of cleaning products, logistical support and consultancy services that enable fire services to mitigate firefighters’ exposure to carcinogens through every step of attending an incident.

They include: simple-to-use washing machines that clean using high pressure water; drying cabinets in various shapes and sizes to accommodate each fire service’s space and equipment; and testing facilities to ensure products are decontaminated before going back into operation.

The final part of the new solution is an improved logistic and workshop capability to quarantine contaminated kit, clean it and then replenish with sanitised PPE to maintain operational capability. Dräger can design and engineer new infrastructure or work within an existing facility to provide optimum protection and cleaning of equipment.

UK Marketing Manager for Engineered Solutions at Dräger, Andy Taylor said it is now well known that job-related exposures to carcinogens increases the risk of illnesses such as cancer: “Employers owe their employees a duty of care and are therefore looking to provide additional protection during training, post incident and in day-to-day equipment handling operations.

“A new standard operating procedure, which incorporates comprehensive training, must be established by the Fire and Rescue Service including comprehensive training for emergency teams on how to decontaminate themselves following an incident in which exposure was likely.

“Standardising processes not only minimise the risk of contamination for workshop personnel, but also reduce the exposure of carcinogenic substances for the wearer. The consistency of cleaning also extends the lifetime of PPE.”

Within Harstra’s product portfolio are a range of washing and drying solutions. These include The Wash4 and Wash6DR models which can accommodate between four and six SCBA respectively, including cylinders and up to 18 breathing masks. The Wash4 model provides the user with a choice of cleaning times from 5 minutes wash, 10 minutes or the recommended 22 minutes under pressure. The Wash6DR washes at the same intervals, but without the need for Compressed Air cylinders, instead taking pressure from a high powered air external source.

Essential to the process is the requirement that cleaned equipment is dried correctly in a drying cabinet or drying room to remove moisture. The Dräger portfolio is configurable and allows easy transfer of equipment using compatible baskets in the cleaning and drying cycle, for example the Wash9 facemask washer and the M18/45 cabinets. Once these have been clean and dried, they can then be checked and tested, Air Cylinders refilled and the SCBA is ready for operations all using Dräger workshop equipment.

https://www.draeger.com/en_uk/Home

New ‘escape hoods’ for fire victims to be deployed by WMFS

by Products

New ‘fire escape hoods’, designed to protect fire victims from smoke and fumes, are set to be carried on all West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) emergency response vehicles.

The service’s 41 fire engines, 19 Brigade Response Vehicles and a specialist breathing apparatus support unit will be equipped with the hoods from today (7 September 2020).

Station Commander Richard Moore, of WMFS’s Response Team, said: “We aim to get to serious incidents in five minutes, because we know this increases your chances of survival.  
 
“Our new fire escape hoods will provide vital extra protection to people who are unlucky enough to be caught in a fire and who need rescuing or leading to safety by our crews.” 
 
Over the last five years, approaching 700 people were rescued or led to safety by West Midlands firefighters. Many subsequently needed treating with oxygen or taking to hospital after breathing in smoke. It is hoped that the hoods will mean far fewer people need treating for the effects of smoke.  
 
Station Commander Moore added: “The smoke produced by fires contains a lot of harmful toxins. The hoods are designed to filter them out and stop you from breathing them in. 
   
“Now, depending on the particular circumstances and conditions at a fire, our firefighters might ask you to wear one of the hoods so you can pass more safely through a smoke-filled environment. 

“They’ll only ever ask you to wear one for your own safety. They’ll need you to take off a head covering if you wear one, so the hood can fit and work as effectively as possible.

“With your agreement, they’ll help you to put it over your head, check it’s properly fitted and sealed and that you can see, breathe and talk as usual, before getting you to safety.”

The self-contained fire escape hoods, which are fitted with air filters, allow the wearer to breathe safely in a smoke-filled atmosphere for up to 15 minutes.

A recommendation from Phase I of the inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire required all fire and rescue services to have fire escape hoods for evacuating people through smoke-filled routes.

After conducting a number of trials, West Midlands Fire Service has chosen to carry Dräger PARAT 5550 Fire Escape Hoods on its fire engines, 4×4 Brigade Response Vehicles and its specialist Breathing Apparatus Incident Support Unit (BAISU).

www.wmfs.net/

Dräger launches ‘Health for the Firefighter’ campaign in response to firefighters’ health concerns

by Projects

Dräger is launching its ‘Health for the Firefighter’ campaign to support fire services in driving the cultural changes that are required to protect firefighter health.

The launch follows a survey* of UK firefighters that found considerable concern over the impact of exposure to contaminants on long-term health. Some 84% admitted they were concerned about the risk of cancer – a disease highlighted in some scientific reports to be the leading cause of death within the service.

The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) reports that nearly two out of three (61%) firefighter line-of-duty deaths between 2002 and 2017 were caused by cancer. Embedded carcinogens in any equipment can easily be absorbed by the men and women using it.

The survey by Dräger also found that more than two thirds (68%) of firefighters fear the impact of Covid-19 on their long-term health, a point picked up by Brian Hesler, Consultant and Specialist Advisor at Draeger Safety UK and former Chief Fire Officer for the Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service:

“The Covid-19 pandemic, and the ongoing fears over cancer, have highlighted the critical importance of hygiene, and a significant cultural change is required. We need to move away from firefighters wearing dirty kit like a badge of honour that proves their hard work and value, to understanding that clean and well-maintained kit supported by detailed and robust hygiene processes that mitigate every contact with contaminants are essential.

“One firefighter surveyed said ‘they had always been a bit blasé about invisible contaminants’. This has got to change.”

The Health for the Firefighter campaign will support the fire services in helping to communicate and provide training on the importance of detailed hygiene processes; from the handling and storage of masks and breathing apparatus (BA) equipment through to the subsequent cleaning of the kit after an incident has occurred.

It will also provide bespoke workshop solutions that guide the potentially contaminated kit from entering the station, to washing and drying processes through to leaving the station to be used again.

In addition to providing detailed advice for manual washing processes including on detergent use and drying techniques, Dräger is the first company in the Emergency Services space to launch specialist BA and mask cleaning equipment and dedicated solutions, including mechanical washing systems that provide complete consistency in washing temperatures, the amount of detergent used, speed and temperature of drying – which can all work together to disinfect contaminants and to protect the longevity of the kit.  Support also encompasses logistical support for installation, the ongoing maintenance of equipment and the quantity of stock required.

The survey revealed the most important factors in combating firefighter concerns over contaminants were the cleaning of masks with 97% rating this as very or extremely important, closely followed by the cleaning of BA equipment (95%) and cleaning of PPE (94%).

While manual cleaning of equipment is still generally the norm within UK Fire Services, the survey revealed three quarters (75%) believed that mechanical equipment washing would improve their health, and 80% agreed that as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic more emphasis should be placed on cleaning equipment and hygiene control. However, only 23% said that the pandemic had significantly changed their approach to cleaning equipment.

“There is obvious concern over cleaning of equipment following the pandemic,” adds Brian. “One surveyed firefighter said ‘they clean to the best of their ability’ – the point is that a person’s ability should not be a factor in the cleaning process. Consistency has to be key and manufacturers of medical and safety technology products have a responsibility to innovate solutions that support change. We are not here to tell brigades how to operate, rather to provide a range of solutions that support them and their firefighters’ health.”

*Survey conducted in July 2020, including 122 responses from people working in the UK Fire Services.

www.draeger.com/en_uk/Home

The PSS® 4000 from Dräger

by Products

The Dräger PSS® 4000 is one of the lightest professional self-contained breathing apparatus for firefighters. Combining comfort with exceptional pneumatic performance, this SCBA is designed for applications where simplicity and ease of use are crucial. Lightweight yet robust, and easy to don, the PSS® 4000 provides outstanding breathing protection.

Supported by a carrying harness with a quick release fastener and simple pull forward mechanism you can quickly and easily adjust the carrying harness.

The extremely durable carrying system features our ultra-lightweight, high strength composite carrying space frame, which provides outstanding thermal, impact and chemical resistance properties. The professional carrying system of the harness follows the natural contours of the body, improving stability and reducing back strain, stress and fatigue.

The system offers optimal comfort for the wearer’s shoulders and waist with an even load distribution, which is comfortably and securely in line with the body‘s centre of gravity. Aside from maximum comfort, the Dräger PSS 4000 also uses the most rugged and durable materials available in order to minimise the impact of even the most hostile of environments.

www.draeger.com/

Dräger reaffirms commitment to Aberdeen operations

by Projects
Dräger (or Draeger) Marine and Offshore, a division of The Dräger Group, has confirmed a new phase of investment in its Aberdeen office.

The latest phase of investment will focus on significantly expanding the company’s rental fleet of offshore safety equipment, which includes its fire and rescue apparatus. The company’s safety products are employed by many operators in the North Sea, and its Aberdeen base is home to the UK’s largest direct to customer rental fleet of Dräger equipment with over 1600 items.

The company has also announced the appointment of David Donaldson to head up its Marine and Offshore UK office, based in Aberdeen. Twenty five staff are based at the Aberdeen office, which in addition to its rental fleet, is also home to an international offshore safety training academy and state of the art service workshop. Dräger is the only safety manufacturer with a base in Aberdeen, and the firm also has premises at Grangemouth.

Donaldson, who brings to the company over 30 years’ experience working in the offshore, oil and gas industries, said: “Dräger has had a presence in Aberdeen for almost ten years, and the company has weathered many challenges through this time. The ongoing investment in Aberdeen reaffirms our commitment to the local business community, as well as our staff, who have been working hard to maintain our customers’ critical safety operations throughout lockdown.”

As well as continuing to service offshore equipment such as rigs throughout lockdown, Dräger staff have also adapted safety training courses to be delivered online to enable its customers to continue operationally-critical work during the pandemic.

The adoption of new technology has resulted in Dräger Marine and Offshore winning a new contract to install the largest wireless gas detection system ever employed by a North Sea operator. Work will commence on the project, which includes the installation of over 120 wireless gas detectors, in September, and will be fully operational by November.

Donaldson concluded: “Despite the great challenges that face the oil and gas industry as a result of Covid-19, there is growing optimism for the future, particularly amongst medium-sized organisations that are large and robust enough to weather the storm, but small and nimble enough to respond to new and emerging opportunities that the current crisis is presenting. We see real opportunity in this area of the market, and look forward to playing our part in supporting future growth here as business starts to resume.”

www.draeger.com/