Products & Services Review Issue 817

DECEMBER 2023

ISSUE 817 Tel: 0121 824 7700 www.productsandservicesreview.co.uk

END OF YEAR RECOMMENDATIONS

Pages 8-9

HEALTHCARE MATTERS

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C O N T E N T S 8 17 EDITORS NOTES As we come to the end of 2023, we take a look back on all the greatest and most innovative products and services that have entered the market over the past 12 months.

From new services that adopt a more sustainable and ethical approach, to products that empower businesses and propel the industry forward, we have really enjoyed looking back on 2023 to see how far the industry has grown in just 12 months. This year, we have highlighted the latest knowledge, products, and resources, as well as covered a vast range of topics that have elevated the industry, creating a forward-thinking culture.

Gina Burton Editor

CP Cases and Blue Lite Graphics were both worthy winners of our Industry Excellence Award. CP Cases for its outstanding contribution to the design and manufacturing of high-performance, protective cases and racks, and Blue Lite Graphics for its exceptional high visibility vehicle livery and markings design and production.

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In October, Soyang Europe won the award for our Printing and Packaging Company of the Year. As a leading manufacturer and distributor of digitally printable wide-format and superwide-format media and surface coverings, it was great to celebrate the company’s success and highlight what it brings to the current market.

SOYANG EUROPE CHRISTEYNS FOOD HYGIENE PRINT & PACKAGING

And some more thank-you’s go to these companies specifically who we have also had the pleasure of working alongside: J & A (International) Limited; Inkfused DTF; WP Group; Protek Products; Black Rainbow, and many more.

BLUELITE GRAPHICS

In this issue, we review The International Security Expo, which is the only privately-run event to have full backing from the UK Government. We have put together some of our Top Exhibitors from the show on pages 6-7. We also congratulate Profile Packaging as our Bespoke Corrugated Cardboard Packaging Company of the Month, shedding a spotlight on the newest addition to the J & A (International) Limited family that is huge waves in the eco-friendly packaging sector.

Other features include: camping & caravanning news, the latest products in health & safety, recent developments in maintenance & engineering, and the latest from Watlow on how adopting a new modular ‘off-the-shelf’ adaptive thermal system can save you money.

Cirrus Research plc has pioneered and innovated solutions that have made monitoring and measuring noise and vibration easier and more accessible than ever before. As one of the world’s leading designers, manufacturers and suppliers of noise measurement instruments, Cirrus Research plc is the name you can trust to provide accurate, reliable and easy-to-use equipment that will stand up to scrutiny, and allow you to reduce the devastating effects of excessive noise and vibration exposure in the workplace and out in the environment.

Products & Services Review is a multi-media digital magazine which circulates directly to 25,000 targeted businesses per issue and is downloadable from multiple digital news stands and via social media.

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Our policy is focused on providing a pragmatic and factual style in order to provide an up-to-date and easy-to-use reference source covering the latest service and product updates within the market for busy professionals.

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Robert Sharp Production Manager production@businessandindustrytoday.co.uk Paul Whitaker Accounts Manager T 0121 709 5534 accounts@businessandindustrytoday.co.uk

EDITORIAL

Gina Burton Editor gina@productsandservicesreview.co.uk

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WHATS INSIDE

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Kimberley Best Publication Manager T 0121 824 7700 kimberleybest@productsandservicesreview.co.uk

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CAMPING & CARAVANNING PRODUCTS & SERVICES

We look forward to 2024 and what the New Year brings to the industry.

Have a great Christmas and Happy New Year.

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The entire content of this publication is advertorial based. To place an advertorial or an advert, please call 0121 824 7700.

PRINT & PACKAGING PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Soyang Europe

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oyang Europe is a leading manufacturer and distributor of digitally printable wide-format and superwide-format media and surface coverings for the multiple industries including sign & display, design, marketing, construction and décor.

Additionally, through the acquisition of Josero, Soyang is now a supplier of leading edge wide and superwide format print production hardware solutions from many of the industry’s biggest and best known printer brands.

The company’s head office and 70,000ft² distribution centre in Accrington, Lancashire, holds stock in excess of 1.5 million m² of premium European and American manufactured products, alongside a variety of innovative substrates produced by high-end Far Eastern partners, all available for delivery on a next day

service. As well as supplying its own in-house solutions, Soyang also partners with a number of leading substrate manufacturers – including Endutex, Senfa, G Floor, Alumigraphics, Decal, Drytac and more – to bring their innovative media to the UK market.

With materials carefully selected and product-engineered for application to exacting European standards, Soyang’s range has become the first choice for banners, billboards, mesh building wraps, back-drops, retail signage and graphics, roller banner systems, wall and surface coverings, graphics and more, and supports Soyang’s commitment to help customers keep ‘Every Surface Covered.’ The recent addition of printing hardware to the Soyang portfolio sees them now stand clear as leaders in the field of wide and superwide format print production.

Please contact 0161 765 3400 sales@soyang.co.uk www.soyang.co.uk

Allpack launches PaintGuard™ The sustainable packaging intransit solution for liquid products

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llpack, a leader in sustainable packaging solutions, is proud to announce the launch of its revolutionary new product, PaintGuard™. PaintGuard™ is a sustainable packaging in-transit solution for liquid products providing unmatched protection for paint and other liquid products against damage during transportation.

PaintGuard™ is designed to be environmentally friendly, made of 100% recycled materials, and is fully recyclable after use. Unlike traditional packaging solutions, which are often single-use and end up in landfills, PaintGuard™ is a sustainable option that minimises environmental impact.

The product features an innovative design that creates a protective housing between the liquid container to sit in and the outer packaging, preventing damage caused by vibration, impact, or temperature fluctuations during transportation. This ensures

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that the product arrives at its destination in pristine condition, without any leakage or spills.

PaintGuard™ is also incredibly easy to use, with a simple and intuitive design that requires no additional tools or equipment. The product is available in a range of sizes and configurations, making it suitable for a variety of liquid products.

Ask for a demo from one of our sales representatives or request a PaintGuard™️ sample pack today or view the PaintGuard™ range online on our website.

We invite you to experience the future of sustainable packaging with PaintGuard™ by contacting us at: sales@allpack.uk.com or call us on: 01543 396700.

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REVIEW – TOP EXHIBITORS

Evolving security through innovation: International Security Expo review 2023

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he International Security Expo is the only privately-run event to have full backing from the UK Government, demonstrated this year by the attendance of the Rt Hon UK Minister for National Security: Tom Tugendhat MBE VR MP. The global premier Government and end-user security event took place from the 26th-27th September at the Olympia in London and brought together leading exhibitors and visitors from the public and private sectors.

Over 350 international exhibitors from key security areas such as: perimeter protection, CCTV & surveillance, forensics, biometrics, drone/counterdrone, cyber security and many more sectors,

launched over 1,000 products. With the sensitive nature of security in mind, only 10,000 vetted visitors were permitted to attend from over 85 countries around the world. This was a truly global event, showcasing new product launches from the pinnacle of biometric technologies, to AI-enabled drone protection, keeping companies and whole countries safe at all times.

The Thermal Radar™ for example, offers robust threat protection for substations and power grid applications and the latest in IoT technology offers cutting-edge protection for environment workers working for NGOs in hazardous locations.

Visitors were introduced to state-of-the-art 3D laser scanning and remote sensing for application across many industries.

There were over 150 renowned, high calibre speakers sharing security thoughts, predictions and ideas with packed audiences across the Global Counter-Terror & Services & Organised Crime, International Security Conference and International Risk & Resilience Conference. These included keynote speakers included: Joel Aleburu: Security Delivery Manager at Microsoft and Mike Butler: Chief Resilience Officer at Santander.

The Production Innovation Theatre was buzzing with the latest security demonstrations and with buyers from major players such as: Google,

Microsoft, Tesco, British Airways, HSBC, United Nations, Network Rail, to Amazon, exhibitors were able to showcase to a truly international audience.

With 75% of the global active buyers actively looking for the latest security innovations, it is estimated that £109K is the average spend of expected orders placed with exhibitors by visitors in the next 12 months, making this the place to be seen with eyecatching SMART security product innovation and services.

This is the definitive calendar event of the year for the international security industry, bringing together quantifiable security product innovation, expert speakers and senior global buyers. From counterterrorism personnel, British Transport Police, cybersecurity experts, senior fire chiefs, to forensic staff: all vetted visitors were impressed with the latest security products and services on offer.

This is our pick of the best exhibitors from this year’s event, listed here: Bluelite Graphics & Science & Technology Facilities Council. Further details can be found on this page and the next.

Save the date: 24th-25th September 2024: Olympia, London (Co-located with Cyber Expo 2024) https://www.internationalsecurityexpo.com

How STFC is using innovation capabilities to address security challenges

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s one of the research councils making up UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) goal is to deliver economic, societal, scientific, and international benefits to the UK and its people. We are committed to using our worldleading national and international research facilities and our wide-ranging expertise to target national priorities and transformative technologies including security and defence.

A key STFC facility which can support businesses in the security field is ASTeC – our particle accelerator science and technology centre. Our research and development facilities, such as our 6MeV compact linear accelerator, and the expertise in designing and building large scale particle accelerators are particularly applicable to security scanning technologies.

An example of this is the work we carried out with Rapiscan Systems to improve the performance of systems that screen cargo for customs and security purposes.

In recent years, the Central Laser Facility (CLF) have worked closely with UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) to deliver a research and development programme focusing on advanced inspection technologies for security applications based on laser-driven secondary

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sources. The spectroscopic techniques developed by CLF also have applications in the security sector. For example, did you know that the technology behind the Insight airport scanners currently in use at several airports in both the UK and the EU was originally developed at CLF? Cobalt Light Systems who were spun out of STFC and are now part of Agilent, developed this application using unique Raman technologies designed for non-invasive through barrier analysis.

As well as these facilities, which have been at the forefront of STFC’s security commitment for years, we also have other facilities specialising in quantum, high performance computing, AI, and machine learning. For example, STFC’s Hartree Centre partnered with Chilton Computing, Huduma and Oxfordshire County Council as part of an Innovate UK funded project focusing on cyber security in connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs). They were able to quantify the security level of a CAV system and

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develop a model for data-driven decision-making in a CAV framework.

STFC attended the International Security EXPO event in London from the 26th–27th September, where we had the chance to discuss many different opportunities and solutions, from one-off support to long term collaborative projects. We hope that, with our industry-leading expertise, we can continue to support the development of companies looking to expand on their security and defence capabilities. https://www.ukri.org/councils/stfc

FOOD HYGIENE PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Christeyns Food Hygiene wins Training Company of the Year at the SOFHT Awards 2023 Warrington based Christeyns Food Hygiene, part of Christeyns UK, were proud to receive the SOFHT Training Company of the Year Award at the event in London last night

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OFHT is an independent consortium of food industry specialists set up to keep members advised of the current hygiene and technology issues through the provision of technical support, training and topical information as well as a vital forum for networking and sharing best practice across the entire food chain. The annual awards, now in their 19th year, recognise and celebrate excellence within the food industry and its associated industries.

As well as designing hygiene chemicals and equipment, Christeyns Food Hygiene runs an educational platform for the training of hygiene professionals. The Christeyns Academy has evolved since its inception in 2013 to become a valuable resource for manufacturing companies in the food sector. What started as a requirement to provide chemical safety training has grown into a package of training materials to support all food sector requirements.

Commenting on the award win, Martin Mann, Senior

Customer Development Manager states, “We are delighted to have been named SOFHT Training Company of the Year 2023. This recognition of our specialist knowledge and training programmes highlights the range of support we can provide to the wider industry to assist them in attaining manufacturing excellence.

Food hygiene is paramount in safeguarding the public, a firm’s reputation and in managing a successful food production business. It underlines all we do, and we are passionate about ensuring food and drink safety across all sectors of our business.”

Christeyns Food Hygiene provides innovative hygiene solutions and specialised technical support for the food and beverage industry that ensure compliance with procedures, legislation and industry codes of practice.

Please contact www.christeynsfoodhygiene.co.uk

Martin Mann with the award at The Brewery in London

REVIEW – TOP EXHIBITORS

Bluelite’s award winning sustainability journey B

luelite was delighted to be named winner of the Sustainable/Ethical Manufacturer Award at the Insider Media ‘Made in the South East’ Awards. It’s a shared endeavour for all our people, both in work and at home.

Here’s some of our progress so far.

Bluelite’s commitment to minimising our carbon footprint and reducing our environmental impact is central to our sustainability journey.

For example, our investment in 88 solar panels has reduced our reliance on fossil fuel generated electricity by 10%, with half of our power requirements now met through renewables.

We are adopting a more sustainable approach across our production process, including the use of low solvent inks, LED lighting throughout and electric vehicles for service support.

Our waste management practices include cardboard recycling for packing kits and the complete elimination of bubble wrap. We vacuum seal

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packages to minimise materials usages and tapes, have replaced single use plastic cups with China cups and also share materials offcuts with local schools to provide high visibility markings for bags and satchels. Office operations are now largely paperless, with all records stored digitally.

Overall, we have reduced waste by 36%, with zero waste sent to landfill.

And to make sure we continue our journey, we are not only accredited to ISO14001, we also use independent assessors to chart our progress on our sustainability journey and challenge us all to do better.

Please contact 01444 232366 sales@bluelitegraphics.com www.bluelitegraphics.com

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HEALTH & SAFETY PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Experts in our field

Cirrus Research plc: Noise measurement instruments

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hen it comes to the safety of workers out in the field, we are the people to contact when it comes to emergency safety showers and eye wash stations.

It isn’t just about the end product. We will recommend and advise you on the best safety shower solution to suit your requirement. As there is no one-fits-all approach we have the flexibility to adapt or modify our units in our manufacturing facility in Great Britain.

Our range of emergency products and equipment offer protection against serious injury and are all built to exceed ANSI/EN safety standards.

While we hope there is never the need for your safety showers to be used, having one is imperative on site should be working around harmful substances.

Our goal is to create essential pieces of equipment that become the standard in every

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laboratory and facility that uses harmful substances.

Are you properly prepared in case of an emergency?

Aqua Safety Showers can keep your workers safe with our wide range of products and units available. For a bespoke quotation or free site survey, please get in touch with our dedicated sales team today.

Please contact +44 (0)1942 318096 sales@aqua-safety.com www.facebook.com/ aquasafetyshowers www.linkedin.com/company/ aqua-safety-showersinternational-ltd www.youtube.com/channel/ UC2IeWZzOlQDOrQiWVGYtYRw

t Cirrus Research, we have designed our range of simple-to-use sound measurement equipment, including sound level meters and noise dosimeters, and our vibration monitoring instruments to help you protect your people and the environment against the risks associated with excessive noise and vibration.

Our equipment is designed in-house by our team of acoustic experts and manufactured in the UK, so you can be sure of its technical excellence and reliability.

As one of the world’s leading designers, manufacturers and suppliers of noise measurement instruments, Cirrus Research plc is the name you can trust to provide accurate, reliable and easy-to-use equipment that will stand up to scrutiny, and allow you to reduce the devastating effects of excessive noise, not only in the workplace, but also on the environment.

Whether you’re looking for a Class 2 Decibel Meter to conduct an occupational noise investigation, or a Class 1 Sound Level Meter for an environmental noise survey, you can be sure that Cirrus Research has an instrument to meet your needs.

Find out more by speaking to our experts: +44 (0)1723 891655 sales@cirrusresearch.com www.cirrusresearch.com

Relaunch of the tec.nicum website New website for services relating to machine safety

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ec.nicum, the service division of the Schmersal Group, is pleased to announce that its new website has been launched today. The new website features the new, overhauled corporate design of tec.nicum. The website is now characterised by a clearer and more user-friendly structure and can be reached as before at: www.tecnicum.com

safety, can also be accessed free of charge via the tec. nicum website, either as an e-paper or as a downloadable PDF.

The website provides an overview of all services that tec.nicum provides in terms of machinery safety. tec.nicum’s range of services encompasses four pillars, which can be ordered as either individual modules or all-round packages: ◆ tec.nicum academy: Knowledge sharing ◆ tec.nicum consulting: Consulting services ◆ tec.nicum engineering: Conception of safety solutions ◆ tec.nicum integration: Practical implementation

“Since its foundation seven years ago, tec.nicum has successfully evolved as a service provider. In the meantime, our organisation now operates domestically and at different locations internationally. Our website ensure the best possible accessibility for our services,” explains Siegfried Wolf, Director of tec.nicum.

The tec.nicum website includes current information on the comprehensive

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training and seminar programme of the tec.nicum academy, which also includes the new TÜV-certified qualification ‘Machinery CE Certified Expert.’ The seminar calendar provides an at-a-glance overview of all topics and dates, and events can be booked online through the website.

The MRL News magazine, which offers a wealth of well-founded background information on the subject of machinery

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Please contact www.schmersal.co.uk www.tecnicum.com

BUILDING SERVICES PRODUCTS & SERVICES

TYDE launches the new Ventilation for the Dudley Valve Mate™ adaptor built environment –

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YDE have made the installation of its Dudley Victoria outlet valve even easier with the launch of its new Dudley Valve Mate™ adaptor.

Designed to allow the Dudley Victoria valve to retrofit other flush valves the new Valve Mate™ is simple to fit and can be installed in seconds thanks to its unique clip and lock feature.

Once fitted with a Valve Mate™, the Dudley Victoria Valve can be retrofitted onto an existing flush valve cage removing the need to split the cistern from the toilet or remove any potentially rusted bolts! Saving time and effort when replacing a faulty flush valve.

The new Valve Mate™ will be supplied prepacked with both versions of the Dudley Victoria Valve reducing the amount of stock plumbers need to carry on their vans.

The Victoria Valves are both WRAS approved and can be serviced in

under 5 minutes providing installers with a real time saving advantage. Both of these high-quality Outlet Valves are fitted with long life silicone seals and a choice of button mounting options. The new Victoria Valves offer Water saving options with full and reduced flush options as standard.

For maintenance or replacement, the robust but simple to use bayonet fixing enables the valve body to be quickly and simply removed from the cistern making the Victoria Valve fast and simple to install and maintain.

Combatting mould

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oor indoor air quality contributes to respiratory and allergy problems. Inadequate ventilation creates ideal conditions for condensation and mould growth.

Vectaire’s MVHRs help tackle these problems. Incorporating two fans, they deliver low-level continuous ventilation – extracting stale air from wet rooms, and bringing in air from outside. The two, separated airflows

The new Valve Mate™ and Dudley Victoria Valves are excellent additions to TYDE’s extensive product range offering both quality and reliability and for peace of mind, the new Victoria Valves come with a 3-year warranty and can be ordered for next day dispatch. Order yours today!

pass through a heat exchanger, recovering heat from outgoing air and filtering it before transferring it to the incoming, fresh air supply. It’s then ducted to the living areas for a comfortable environment.

The Midis, upright WHHRs, for loft or cupboard installation, are for residential properties up to 170m2.

They recover up to 94% of the heat from extracted air and have variable choice of trickle, boost and purge speeds, with summer bypass and integral frost stat and are available with or without LCD and humidistat.

The ‘AT’ versions (sound tested by BRE) operate really quietly (sound levels down to <5dBA). There are two other models in this range – the Maxi for areas up to 250m2 and the Maxi Plus for areas up to 400m2.

Contact Carol Auster, Vectaire Ltd, 01494 522333 01494 522337 www.vectaire.co.uk

For more information, please visit: www.thomasdudley.co.uk/tyde or email us: info@tyde.co.uk.

HEALTH & SAFETY PRODUCTS & SERVICES

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MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING PRODUCTS & SERVICES

New company offers The new alternatives comprehensive services in power conversion for lift operators and P maintenance companies DICEO Group presents its range of services for the first time at interlift 2023

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newly formed company offers a comprehensive package of services to lift operators and maintenance companies. DICEO Group GmbH is a consortium of two partners with complementary skills: the Schmersal Group, a specialist in the development and manufacture of safety switchgear and systems as well as lift controls, and compreneur AG, a management consultancy specialising in innovation and entrepreneurship. The CEO of the DICEO Group is Benjamin Frohling from compreneur.

The core element of the DICEO Group‘s service portfolio is the non-invasive retrofit system ‘EYELEVATE,’ developed together with partners, which works with any lift, regardless of type, age or manufacturer: EYELEVATE is a smart remote monitoring system that allows users to check the status of their

lift at any time – via smartphone or tablet.

With EYELEVATE, any lift can be digitised in a matter of minutes, enabling real time monitoring of key lift system functions using built-in sensors.

With EYELEVATE, customers can keep an eye on their lifts at all times. The system constantly analyses data on the lift's behaviour, detects atypical conditions and scenarios and reports these, for example, via a push message to the customer’s tablet or smartphone.

The DICED Group will be presenting its range of services for the first time at the interlift 2023. Visit us from 17th20th October in Hall 1, Stand 1035!

Please contact www.schmersal.com www.tecnicum.com

ower conversion is commonly achieved through phase-angle controllers, transformers and power supplies. But these solutions can either damage heaters, or take up large amounts of space or make it incredibly hard to measure and control the power flow.

Watlow’s power conversion technology solves these issues by providing the ability to bring voltage up or down smoothly without having to introduce a bulky power supply. Watlow temperature controllers, such as POWERGLIDE®, are capable of modulating the amplitude of the output voltage, allowing the voltage to step down from 208 volts to as low as 20 volts.

Lowering the voltage in this way is a great way to drive low-impedance heaters. It can reduce the power distribution rating with smaller fuses and wires, which saves money and space. It can also protect ceramic heaters from breaking. Watlow’s power conversion technology also achieves high power quality without the high cost and added space of a DC power supply.

Power conversion is an essential element of many heating applications.

Yet most current power conversion technology is not well suited to cases where heaters are fragile, have ceramic components, or have to ensure safe operation across the globe. No longer do devices have to be engineered around power quality issues. Instead, smooth, stable power changes are possible across a huge variety of outputs, and noise is reduced drastically.

Please contact www.watlow.com

Solving complex dry air supply and control problems D rallim are specialist equipment manufacturers and offer a wide range of bespoke products and services. One area of increasing activity has been designing and building custom dehydrators to suit a variety of telecom applications from copper cable pressure systems to television, satellite, and radar systems. There currently exists a large installed base of older equipment that is often found obsolete whereas we have successfully provided a full range of services to maintain, monitor and replace equipment of any brand. Maintaining an extremely dry air supply is essential to these applications and in recent years, we have developed sophisticated remote monitoring solutions for telephone exchanges and waveguide tower installations providing an early warning of potential issues on often highly critical services.

This monitoring capability has also spilled over into offering monitoring for cable theft, cable integrity and unauthorised access to manholes and cabinets. We have a range of standard units to suit most applications but often our customers need something rather unique. We will work with clients and their customers to understand the needs of their application(s) www.drallim.com and look at how best to provide a solution.

We offer a professional service from site survey, customer design, manufacture and installation and we’re not always finished then. We offer full

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training on all products, which makes servicing and maintaining the unit an in-house option for the client if preferred. If you operate any kind of installation requiring a supply of dry air, and have over 60 years’ experience with this type of equipment and supply the Koganei range of quality Japanese pneumatics alongside our own

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specialist Rotary Selector Valve that is widely used to control complex pneumatic switching applications.

Contact: sales@drallim.com for help and information or visit: www.drallim.com

www.healthcarematters.uk

ISSUE 817 – DECEMBER 2023 TEL 0121 824 7700

END OF YEAR RECOMMENDATIONS

Taking steps to reduce delay in adaptations for £1,000 AAT GB is highlighting how the barrier of stairs can be overcome

page VIII

IV DeNovo Healthcare specialises in Orthopaedic Footwear suppliers, from semi bespoke to fully bespoke items!

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IX Recruiting success with CVMinder ATS with complete Recruitment Software built for Care Providers

and follow us on Twitter

XII Access 21 Interiors specialises in design, furniture, curtains, lighting and artwork, saving you time and money

@hcm_uk or download our iOS app

CONTENTS 817 EDITORS NOTES As we come to the end of 2023, we take a look back on all the greatest and most innovative products and services that have graced the healthcare industry over the past 12 months.

From new services that celebrate diversity, the empowerment of individuals and the promotion of inclusivity, to the latest knowledge, products, resources, and employment opportunities available to all those involved in the care sector, we have covered a vast range of topics for you that have helped to elevate the industry and create a forward-thinking culture towards Health and Wellbeing.

Gina Burton

HEALTHCARE MATTERS

Editor

As another good year closes albeit with the inevitable challenges still lingering from COVID-19, we want to reflect on some companies that have achieved outstanding success.

Goelst UK Ltd were worthy winners of our Industry Excellence Award with its creative solutions for Curtain Track and Blind Systems. Along with its excellent technical support, on-site support, and comprehensive advice to ensure the client gets the right product for their requirements, it was great to celebrate the company’s success and highlight what it brings to the Healthcare Industry.

SIGHT & SOUND TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE & TECHNOLOGY MATTERS

DENOVO HEALTHCARE

And some more thank-you’s go to these companies specifically who we have also had the pleasure of working alongside: W&P Training; Sunken Trampolines; MGPS Services Ltd; Haigh Engineering; Bioclad; Kingsway Group.

NURSING & CARE MATTERS

In this issue, we review and celebrate the first ever-global event – The Disability Expo 2023. Equality and inclusion within health and social care is vital to ensuring people’s differences are valued and respected. We have put together some of our Top Exhibitors from the show on pages 10-11. Other features include: Med-Tech Innovation Expo 2023 review, the latest news in nursing & care, a new social app designed for care professionals, recent developments in occupational therapy, and WhosOffice who offer a brilliant online system to help large care homes, hospital pharmacies and the care sector generally in managing staff sickness.

NURSING & CARE MATTERS

We look forward to 2024 and what the New Year brings to the industry.

Have a great Christmas and Happy New Year.

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THANKS & PRAISE

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FRONTIER GROUP OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY MATTERS

COVER STORY

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The S-Max stairclimber, crafted by AAT (Alber Antriebstechnik), presents an ideal solution for wheelchair users seeking seamless mobility. Engineered to simply adapt to nearly all commercially available wheelchairs, the S-Max guarantees effortless integration and ease.

W&P TRAINING

What truly distinguishes the S-Max is its innovative design, allowing for swift and uncomplicated attachment or detachment from your wheelchair. This translates to effortless transportation, facilitated by its intuitive features.

ACCESS MY EVENTS

TRAINING & RECRUITMENT MATTERS DISABILITY EXPO REVIEW – TOP EXHIBITORS

See page VIII

CONTACTS PUBLICATION MANAGEMENT

Kimberley Best Publication Manager T 0121 824 7700 kimberleybest@productsandservicesreview.co.uk

PRODUCTION

Robert Sharp Production Manager production@businessandindustrytoday.co.uk

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Paul Whitaker Accounts Manager T 0121 709 5534 accounts@businessandindustrytoday.co.uk

EDITORIAL

Gina Burton Editor gina@productsandservicesreview.co.uk

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BEALIES ADAPTIVE WEAR

Healthcare Matters is an informative supplement inside Products & Services Review specifically targeted to the healthcare sector and its key decision makers. Healthcare Matters includes need to know features highlighting key products, services and events in the fast paced and constantly changing landscape of healthcare. Healthcare Matters is a multi-media digital magazine which circulates directly to 25,000 targeted businesses per issue, and is downloadable from multiple digital news stands and via social media Twitter, LinkedIn and our iOS app.

Please contact 0121 824 7700 Email info@healthcarematters.uk www.healthcarematters.uk For more information on print or format requirements, please see our Media Pack Find us on LinkedIn follow us on Twitter

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WHOS OFFICE SOFTWARE & IT MATTERS

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RAPID FLUIDICS MEDTECH EXPO REVIEW

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and @hcm_uk

The entire content of this publication is advertorial based. To place an advertorial or an advert, please call 0121 824 7700.

NURSING & CARE Matters

MoliCare® celebrates 40 years of incontinence protection, every day M

oliCare®, the global incontinence brand, is celebrating 40 years of supporting people, carers and healthcare professionals with solution-based pads, pants and skincare products. The product range has been designed to help the everyday needs of those living with incontinence and bladder weakness, with the care of the skin at the heart of the MoliCare® brand.

MoliCare® has developed a range of pads and pants, which feel like underwear. Over the last forty years, the brand has continued to focus on protection, security, and comfort as the core criteria for its product performance.

HARTMANN, the company behind MoliCare®, continues to invest in and develop in their products.

This includes the introduction of new technology to the MoliCare® Premium Form range of large

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shaped pads that now features a new absorbent core known as ADL (Acquisition Distribution Layer). The ADL layer contains super absorbent polymers treated with Citrate, which neutralise the urine, for better skin health. In addition, the ADL layer now features a new channel, set within the pad to help to distribute urine. Both innovations improve the feeling of dryness by over 70%, again demonstrating MoliCare®’s commitment to skin care.

For ordering, please call: 0800 028 9470, or order online at: www.hartmanndirect.co.uk

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NURSING & CARE Matters

New social thanking app launched for care professionals anywhere, anytime to improve keyworkers’ wellbeing through the power of gratitude.

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t’s no secret that being praised makes us feel good and increases feelings of self-esteem and well-being.

Gratitude itself is associated with higher levels of life satisfaction. It is also linked to lowering levels of depression and anxiety, supporting our perceptions of positive relationships and fostering a sense of social connectedness.

The positive effect of gratitude, however, is relatively short-lived and for praise to have a long-lasting impact on staff well-being, it needs to be given regularly.

That’s precisely why TAP (Thank and Praise), the social thanking platform, was created, to make it easier to regularly share messages of thanks, quickly, easily and securely with those that deserve it.

TAP has recently launched a new app enabling users to send messages of thanks to anyone,

TAP App users can publicly share messages of thanks for healthcare and social care professionals on thanking walls for organisations such as United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust and National Association of Care and Support Workers as well as receive in-app notifications when they’ve been thanked. While a Map of Thanks enables users to locate and follow keyworker organisations from across the UK. The new app also features a wellbeing section containing feel-good articles, podcasts, videos and top tips designed to support the wellbeing of TAP’s community.

“TAP is designed to improve the wellbeing of care professionals through the sharing of messages of thanks and access to a valuable resource of wellbeing content. Our new mobile app means we can get TAP into even more people’s hands,” said Matt Findel-Hawkins, CEO of TAP. Clare Mechen, Nurse Manager at The Adam Practice, “While we see ourselves as simply doing our job, it’s great to see how much the public appreciate what we are doing to keep them safe.

TAP is the perfect place to share their positive messages of support.”

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Paul Featherstone, Founder of National Association of Care and Support Workers, “It’s vital that our social care colleagues are properly recognised for the incredible work they do every single day and TAP is an ideal way to achieve this.”

TAP’s mission is to improve the mental health and wellbeing of all those working in healthcare and social care and is proud to support 5,000 keyworker organisations nationally.

If you’d like to get involved: Visit TAP’s website: (https://thankandpraise. co.uk/tap-mobile-app) to download the TAP App. Contact: info@thankandpraise.com to adopt TAP’s social thanking platform in your organisation.

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SENSORY DEVELOPMENT Matters

Discover Tranquillity and Trigger Connection with Snoezelen® & Reminiscence Sensory Rooms

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noezelen® & Reminiscence Sensory Rooms, products, resources, and activities are evolving, and so are we. Together with our trusted advisors, focus groups and customers, we are constantly developing new products to meet specific needs.

Our products have been carefully selected to support people with different sensory requirements, with a core focus on empowering users with choices to engage, entertain, stimulate, excite, calm, and relax.

A lack of choice and control is a frustrating reality for many people who might be managing the effects of a range of conditions, from sensory processing disorders such as autism, brain injury and dementia.

We seek to resupply this sense of control and choice to a person by allowing them to explore and interact with their environment.

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Contact us to transform your space: https://www.olderadults.co.uk/contacts 01246 210416 sales@olderadults.co.uk www.olderadults.co.uk

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OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY Matters

Taking steps to reduce delay in adaptations for £1,000

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n the ongoing battle to reduce delay in home adaptations, and minimising risk for clients whilst their application is processed, AAT GB is highlighting how the barrier of stairs can be overcome – for under £1,000.

The safe, quick fix, AAT claims, is to better utilise equipment often already to hand, which assessors may not even be aware of.

Re-issue of an AAT stairclimber from stores can be affected within days. It requires no installation. It enables inter-floor transfer to be undertaken safely, minimising risk in alternative methods of transferring someone up and down stairs. It eliminates the need for re-organisation of the home with all its associated impact on other members of the household (such as moving a bed downstairs). It enables everyone else in the home to still fully utilise the space without impediment. As standard with an integral seat, options area available that attach to a wheelchair, further minimising risk and transfers.

All it takes is just an hour or so to train the carer, and for an AAT assessment manager to ensure the stairclimber is precisely set for operator comfort and safe support of the client.

And in these days of rising energy bills, the battery powered S-Max can deliver 300 steps from one charge of the battery.

With thousands of its stairclimbers already sold to local authorities across the country, AAT is confident

the concept of re-issue can have a dramatic impact on reducing waiting lists where stairs are the issue – according to NHS data(1), dealing with stairs is listed as the first change required to the home.

“Providing a stairclimber from stores is a win:win option,” says AAT Director, Peter Wingrave. “It minimises the risk of stairs within days, instead of the weeks or months of alternative inter-floor transfer methods. Thus, hospital discharge can be expediated more efficiently. Risk for someone at home is managed and minimised. Fall prevention is optimised.”

“In our 15+ years of experience, our stairclimbers can deliver the answer in 90+% of scenarios, addressing almost every stair configuration and so easy to use even the smallest carer can effortlessly and safely move even a bariatric adult. With our pioneering Universal Back support system, the stairclimber can provide all the support and harnessing requirements too, meaning one stairclimber can fit all.”

The availability of its stairclimbers is now so widespread that AAT’s assessment managers now as a matter of course supply Occupational

Therapists with a quote for a new and a re-issued stairclimber, alongside their comprehensive clinical notes and prescription.

Find out more, and book your free, no obligation assessment: www.aatgb.com/s-max (1) https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-andsupport-guide/care-services-equipment-and-carehomes/home-adaptations

Automated lateral patient Integrity® Static Cushion turning repositioned Range H H ealthcare providers and carers are often required to reposition their patients 24 hours a day to reduce the risk of pressure ulcers. This can be very time consuming, ineffective, requires significant resources, can introduce risk to staff and patients, and might not be well tolerated.

Toto® from Frontier Medical Group is an automatic lateral turning system designed to assist with patient turning. With a powered control unit and a turning platform fitted beneath the patients’ mattress, Toto automatically turns patients at userdefined intervals, relieving pressure over their most vulnerable areas.

Toto offers consistent & controlled automated lateral patient turning intervals, supporting single-handed care, in a lightweight,

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easy to use and setup format.

Toto effectively redistributes patients’ peak pressures by tilting via discreet inflatable air cells; evenly, smoothly, and consistently even when they are sleeping. Toto offers a superior patient experience, improving compliance & resulting in enhanced outcomes.

Toto aids clinicians and carers in the regular turning of patients. The unique turning platform, placed under the existing mattress is designed to gently turn patients at regular intervals, supporting anyone who cares for the patient, and offering a new approach to ‘Two Hourly’ or ‘Night-time’ turning.

Find out more about Toto here: 0330 460 6030 info@frontier-group.co.uk www.frontier-group.co.uk Check our News Events page: https://bit.ly/3sp6FuR

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ere at Sumed, we manufacture and distribute a wide range of medical products and services.

Our products are designed for isn’t a size that is right for the healing and you, we can make one to suit maintenance of healthy skin, your needs. We supply this including pressure ulcers, cushion to both the NHS and with products ranging from also to trade customers. At a very low risk to very high risk suitable price, this cushion is of developing a Pressure cost-effective for the qualities Ulcer. One product that we it provides, such as being supply is Integrity Static® lightweight. The cushions Cushion Range. This is a are clearly colour labelled new range of cushions, with with the weight limit and risk the risk levels ranging from level which helps you identify comfort to very high risk. which cushion is which.

This cushion range offers 3 weight limits, 17st, 28st and 50st making Please contact this cushion suitable www.sumedinternational.com for the majority of https://sumedinternational. users. We can also com/integrity-static-cushionprovide custom sizes range in this range so if there

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TRAINING & RECRUITMENT Matters

Who is recruiting successfully in care these days?

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ack Morgan of Local Solutions is recruiting successfully. He says, “CVMinder ATS has made the process as smooth and as streamlined as possible. That’s critical when recruiting in a demanding sector like care. The system gives us central control of everything and the management information we generate from CVMinder has helped to improve our recruiting approach. Without CVMinder our recruiting costs would be much higher and good candidates would be lost in the administration clutter.”

to shortlist batches of applicants swiftly.”

Donna Newell of The Kent Autistic Trust is recruiting successfully. She says “CVMinder ATS ensures that we are being responsive to applicants and the demands of our managers.

Having a one stop shop means that we can post and update jobs at the touch of a button. Receiving all applications online and using filter questions enables our recruiters

What about bigger providers?

With simple and scalable access controls, you can team right across your organisation. We even manage multiple brands in one system.

What is CVMinder ATS? It’s your gateway to being successful. Make everything easier, speed everything up and keep the costs down. From advertising your vacancies all the way through to onboarding, CVMinder ATS helps every step of the way.

Can small care providers benefit?

Of course. With an advert analyser and auto-scoring of applicants you’ll attract and identify the best applicants faster.

Call us on: 01634 202101 to find out more and book your free demo.

W&P supporting Health and Social Care providers across the UK W&P has been supporting Health and Social Care providers with its business planning, compliance and training requirements since 2001, including: ● Policies and Procedures for Domiciliary, Residential, & Clinical Service providers in England, Scotland & Wales. ● Policies and procedures for Learning Disability Services in England. ● Policies and Procedures for nonregistered services in England ● Staff training packs – i.e.

Management of Medicines. ● Accredited on-line distance learning training courses. ● Compliance Audits/Mock Inspections

● Tender writing and Bid support ● CQC Registration Support ● General Business Advice and Guidance New for 2023! ● Updated CQC compliance webinar ● Values Led Recruitment and Retention Webinar ● Children’s Policies and Procedures ● New Online Policy Portal – Manage, read and share your policies at the touch of a button.

For this and much more, please go to our website at: www.wandptraining.co.uk or call us on 01305 767104, we are here to help.

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Review - Top Exhibitors

Celebrating diversity, empowering individuals and promoting inclusivity

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isability Expo 2023 was the first global event to bring together all the stakeholders in the disability world and help connect disabled people and their caregivers with the knowledge, resources, products, employment, and services to make their own decisions and live meaningful lives.

Disability Expo promoted a safe and accessible place for networking, with hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the latest innovations in independent living, mobility aids and technologies, services and advice from charities and organisations.

The 2023 Expo took place on the 7th and 8th of July at London’s ExCel Centre and boasted a full event programme that comprised of inclusive activities, performances and presentations. This year’s partners included Enable, UKRI, Making More of Life Together, Depher, PDA Society, THIS., Pods, Hidden Disabilities, The Grumpy Gits, Snowball, Ability Access, Purple Tuesday, JD Group, Amazon, Wordly, Living with Disability, Access My Events, Manage at Home, BHTA, Adapt-IT, Coca-Cola, Celtic Therapy & Rehab Services, Access your life, Evenbreak, Mark Bates Ltd, and Passenger Assistance.

Excelling in celebrating diversity, disability rights and creating a voice for the disability space, Disability Expo laid out a platform for many deep and necessary discussions on topics close to the heart of those living in the disability world. Such topics included various talks on the significance of self-care and well-being, discussions on inaccessibility in the world of travel, financial implications of living with a disability, the Employee Lounge hosted panels that empowered people with disabilities in the workforce, and Eva Abley – Britain’s Got Talent Contestant and Young Comedian shared her experiences on living with cerebral palsy.

The line-up of speakers and performers were a real highlight to the show, boasting talented, knowledgeable and award-winning names in the industry from various backgrounds. Some of these included Adam Pearson, Samantha Renke, Jordan Jarrett-Bryan, Mik Scarlet, Martin Dougan, Shaun Flores, Anna Landre, J Grange, Celia Chartres-Aris (nèe Hensman), Christina Warner, Puneet Singh Singhal, and many more.

The one resounding message that was clear at the first ever Disability Expo was the importance of inclusivity and understanding for people with disabilities. The variety of products and services on display opened the eyes of visitors and other industry professionals, and a key highlight was being able to meet the people behind the products face to face, which reflected the vital importance of accessibility.

Furthermore, being able to meet real life people who truly know what it is like living with a disability and to see how they have overcome certain challenges was inspiring and helped to create a strong sense of community across the two days.

Take a look at some of our chosen Top Exhibitors from the show.

This is our pick of the best exhibitors from this year’s event, listed here: Access My Events, Aventido, Bealies Adaptive Wear & Centro Bed. Further details can be found on this page and the next.

Please contact https://www.thedisabilityexpo.com

Wellbee: Empowering those with cognitive challenges I

n a world driven by technology, Wellbee emerges as a vital digital tool dedicated to improving the lives of individuals who experience cognitive difficulties. This solution is tailored to offer enhanced self-sufficiency and independence.

therapists can use Wellbee to create efficient care plans that simplify tracking progress and interventions. ✚ Positive Impact on Mental Health: Independence and achievement positively influence the mental well-being of patients and residents, reducing frustration and dependency.

Who is Wellbee for?

Wellbee is designed to cater to individuals facing cognitive challenges, such as Dementia, aiming to strengthen their autonomy and self-reliance. It provides personalised support and guidance, helping them navigate daily life with newfound confidence.

Additionally, Wellbee offers cost-effective care delivery, potentially reducing the need for additional resources while enhancing support. Additionally, patients become more self-sufficient and may require less intensive care over time.

What does Wellbee do?

Wellbee transcends the role of an app; it serves as a lifeline for those seeking to become and stay more self-sufficient and autonomous. Its core goal is to empower individuals with cognitive difficulties, guiding them through a world that might otherwise seem overwhelming.

How does Wellbee do it?

At the core of Wellbee’s success lies a straightforward yet potent model: the ‘planner’ and the ‘user.’ This intuitive design fosters and encourages independent living, even for individuals who may have faced challenges in doing so previously.

What are the key benefits of Wellbee to the end user? ✚ Enhanced Independence: Wellbee empowers individuals with cognitive difficulties to perform

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daily tasks more independently, fostering a sense of self-sufficiency. ✚ Improved Quality of Life: Wellbee’s support enhances the overall quality of life for patients and residents, providing a sense of control and accomplishment. ✚ Personalised Care: Wellbee offers tailored solutions, allowing care providers to meet the unique needs of each patient, ensuring precise and effective support. ✚ Streamlined Care Management: Occupational

Accessible across devices Recognising the importance of accessibility, Wellbee ensures compatibility with a wide range of devices. The Wellbee iOS and Android app puts support at your fingertips, while the browser-based version guarantees secure, uninterrupted access from any device with an internet connection.

Wellbee transcends the boundaries of cognitive difficulties, making daily tasks more manageable and lives more fulfilling. It’s an essential tool that empowers individuals to reclaim control over their lives.

If you’d like to explore Wellbee further, don’t hesitate to contact: info@aventido.com to arrange a product demonstration or visit: www.aventido.com

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Review - Top Exhibitors

Making events accessible to all A

ccess Partner to The Disability Expo 2023, Access My Events had an enjoyable first-time experience exhibiting at the show.

The Expo gave Access My Events a platform to raise awareness of the brand as well as network with other like-minded people and organisations.

Founder Zubee commented, “As our logo tagline says, bringing businesses and disabled people together, this event did just that!”

Founded by Zubee in 2018, it is already an award-winning business having just won the Small Business Sunday (SBS): one of the largest business networks in the UK founded by Dragon’s Den – Theo Paphitis. Furthermore, Zubee has also been nominated as a finalist for the British Asian Women’s Awards 2024, in the Community Achievement of the Year category.

Bealies Adaptive Wear M

the disability community.

Zubee is wellconnected to the disability community, living with cerebral palsy herself, she understands the challenges. Her passion to make events more inclusive whilst encouraging others to do so too is what drives the business forward.

If you’re looking to make your event more accessible for deaf and disabled people then Access My Events would love to work with you. Whether it’s a local event or something more large scale, Access My Events will work with you to make your event as inclusive as possible.

Having worked in the field of disability, equality and events for many years, Zubee found it difficult to find a job in the events industry so starting her own business was the ideal way to work in a sector she is passionate about.

For more information, please see below: 07305 244993 Access My Events is a unique zubee@accessmyevents.co.uk business model that strives https://accessmyevents.co.uk to make events accessible for

y name is Caron Mcluckie, I am a mother of 3 adult children Theo, Emile, and Esther. We live in Stockport and for nearly 30 years I have worked as a mental health social worker. In January 2016, Emile had suffered a spinal cord stroke which had left him paralysed from the chest down.

Emile has coped with this traumatic event; his resilience is astounding.

Emile has no bladder or bowel function, and we must self-catheterise to empty his bladder.

self catheterising. They are higher at the back to avoid sagging while sitting and transferring to ensure everything is covered! The joggers have a slim fit leg (which is fashionable presently) and we will also have a regular fit for people with more muscle mass on their legs, to ensure a better fit for different disabilities and all shapes and sizes.

It soon became clear, once we got into our daily routine, that clothes did not fit him properly while he sat in the wheelchair.

More importantly, even the comfortable joggers that Emile likes to wear did not provide easy access to catheterise. After looking around the market I couldn’t find anything Please contact suitable, so I designed my www.bealiesadaptivewear.co.uk own bespoke joggers with @bealiesaw Instagram and a unique opening to enable Facebook comfortable dressing and

Empowering lives through innovative beds

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or over 50 years, Centrobed has been focused on patient care with its cutting-edge medical turning beds.

As a 3rd generation family business, our commitment to excellence has solidified our position as the leading manufacturers in the UK, dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals with limited to no mobility.

Arctic: Unleashing the power of profiling and repositioning features At the heart of our success lies the Arctic, our flagship turning bed and the undisputed best seller in our extensive lineup. The Arctic is not just a bed; it’s a game-changer. Designed with advanced profiling features, automatic turning functions and trendelenburg – it goes beyond conventional beds, providing unparalleled comfort and support for those facing mobility challenges.

The Arctic’s innovative design is a testament to Centrobed’s unwavering dedication to improving the quality of life for individuals with limited mobility. Whether it’s assisting with daily activities or offering therapeutic benefits, the Arctic is a beacon of independence for those in need.

Bespoke solutions for unique needs Understanding that every individual is unique, Centrobed takes pride in offering a range of bespoke products tailored to meet specific requirements. Our team of sales representatives are able to assess your specific needs and

collaborate with healthcare professionals to create personalised solutions that ensure optimum comfort and support. From custom mattress sizes and material to unique profiling options, Centrobed goes the extra mile to make a real difference in the lives of those we serve.

Beyond Beds: Centrobed’s comprehensive approach Centrobed’s commitment extends beyond providing exceptional beds. We are dedicated to offering a comprehensive approach to patient care. Our team works closely with healthcare providers to understand the evolving needs of patients, ensuring that our products evolve with them. This commitment to innovation and adaptability sets Centrobed apart as a trusted partner in healthcare.

Experience the Centrobed Advantage: 50 Years of Expertise: With five decades of experience, Centrobed brings a wealth of

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knowledge and innovation to the field of medical turning beds.

Cost Saving Solutions: The products we sell here at Centrobed can greatly reduce the cost of care, offering hands-free solutions.

Bespoke Solutions: We understand that one size does not fit all. Explore our range of bespoke products crafted to meet individual needs, ensuring optimal care and comfort.

Choose Centrobed – where innovation meets compassion. Join us on our journey to transform patient care, one turning bed at a time.

Please contact 01233 635353 sales@centrobed.com www.centrobed.com

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HEALTHCARE ESTATES Matters

SDS: A ‘one-stop’ door solution provider

Interior refurbishment project a big hit for Access 21 J ust wanted to share details of a lovely care home interior that Access 21 has recently designed and completed.

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DS is a leading UK designer and manufacturer of specialist doorsets for healthcare and clinical environments.

industry, and is designed to offer a one-stop solution for compliant, highperformance doorsets comprising doors, frames, vision panels, and ironmongery solutions, all of which are fully backed up by the relevant test data and certification.”

It said, “Our doorsets are designed for their application and environment, so whatever your requirement, we have the right doorset Please contact for you, including lead-lined 01420 543222 variants. Our range of door sales@specialistdoorsolutions.com systems has been created https://specialistdoorsolutions.com based on our experience in the

We provided building and decorating services, interior design ideas, furniture, upholstery fabrics, curtains/ blinds and artwork to refurbish all the communal areas of the home, creating very different areas with linking themes that are both practical yet beautifully stylish. Consultancy and works all followed in a logical sequence to maximize time planning and minimize disruption.

Excellent communication between the client and ourselves together with the wide range of services and choices that we were able to offer

contributed to the success of this fantastic project. We even visited with a furniture van and samples so that residents and staff could try out items for size and comfort before choosing a wide selection.

Getting in touch What would you like to do to update your home? Even with a small budget, we can work with you to achieve the look you desire, and we have no minimum order requirements or long-contracts.

We would be delighted to help!

Please contact Eda or Karen at: info@access21ltd.co.uk or visit our website for inspiration: www.access21interiors.co.uk

SOFTWARE & IT Matters

Pret A Manger go live with WhosOffice online success helps Terryberry’s bespoke Employee care sector with shift planning and Benefits Platform and Wellbeing Hub staff leave management K

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ret A Manger have become the latest company to go live with Terryberry’s complete Employee Benefits Platform alongside a Wellbeing Hub, which is designed to support employees’ physical, mental and financial wellbeing.

As part of the launch, Pret A Manger will now have access to a new Offers and Discounts platform, designed to help support employees during the cost-of-living crisis. With the platform giving users potential savings of up to £3,000 per year. Alongside a recognition platform that will connect all 8,000 employees in the UK, and encourage a culture of recognition across all locations.

Emma Spencer, Senior Pay & Benefits Manager at Pret A Manger, said, “We are excited and delighted with our

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new bespoke one-stop benefits and wellbeing platform. This now allows all our employees across the UK to access their Benefits and Wellbeing offerings in one easy to access platform and App.

“We were really impressed with the new features that Terryberry were bringing to their benefits and wellbeing platform. This played a big part in our decision to partner with Terryberry as we could see great potential and knew the impact this would have for our teams.”

If you are interested in an all-in-one Engagement, Reward, Recognition and Benefits platform for your business, you can get in touch at: www.terryberry.com/gb/contact-us Contact: Ben Pritchard 0344 826 2008 bpritchard@terryberry.com www.terryberry.com/gb/360recognition-platform

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ent-based WhosOffice.com is helping the care sector manage staff shifts and leave planning.

Currently used by many businesses to manage staff holidays and shift rotas online.

WhosOffice’s CEO, Reg Groombridge (pictured), has seen a noticeable shift in the way companies are managing essential HR tasks like co-ordinating staff time off and shift patterns.

“All companies, including large care homes, hospital pharmacies and the care sector generally are more sensitive than ever to key staff not being available at vital times during a shift.

Management, including local managers, need to have a clear vision of whos on shift, day off, who’s on leave or even off sick and be able to plan tasks accordingly to the correct staff.”

“As there continues to be pressure caused by the shortage of skilled and qualified personnel, you need online systems that your whole team can

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use to see accurate information, wherever they’re located – at head office, care home based, on-site or on the move.”

Knowing who’s on shift or available to cover a shift is the key to success along with who’s qualified to cover certain essential roles and tasks.

Ever-rising employee expectations have created a stronger business case for investing in HR technologies.

When WhosOffice launched in 2015 it was one of the very first online staff shift and leave planners, and many businesses still used paper forms or spreadsheets to track time off. Now, companies of all sizes are modernising their operations to help them attract and retain the best people.

Please contact +44 (0)1227 812938 support@whosoffice.com www.whosoffice.com

Review

The UK & Ireland’s leading event for medical device manufacturing F rom the 7th-8th June, leaders, engineers, innovators and manufacturers gathered together at the NEC to attend Med-Tech Innovation Expo 2023.

Med-Tech is the fastest growing event in medical technology boasting a platform where innovative new technology is showcased and launched to a global audience.

From new product launches to advanced technologies, technology zones, live demonstrations, and a world-class conference programme, Med-Tech 2023 was a roaring success.

Featuring some of this year’s headline speakers and decision makers that came from global organisations such as Stryker, Johnson & Johnson, Boston Scientific, NHS, Department for Business and Trade, Office of Life Sciences, Department of Health and Social Care, Crispin Orthotics and Pennine Healthcare, who all gave business-critical insights and thought-providing discussions alongside revealing new academic research available to the medical technology industry.

The event was as busy as ever with lots of things to do and see. Some life changing medical devices were launched and showcased alongside specialist technology, materials, components, software, machines, applications and more. Boasting almost 200 exhibitors and over 50 presentations, MedTech 2023 was an interactive, insightful and highly-efficient event that excelled in meeting the demands of the MedTech industry.

Take a look at some of our Top Exhibitors from the show.

MedTech Innovation Expo 2024 takes place on the 5th-6th June 2024 at the NEC in Birmingham.

Please contact https://med-techexpo.com

Third year running for Rapid Fluidics T

hree is the magic number for Rapid Fluidics who once again successfully exhibited at Med-Tech Innovation Expo 2023 with a slightly larger stand and slightly larger team than previous years at the NEC in Birmingham.

The Rapid Fluidics team received great feedback and interest from new and existing customers and industry professionals as they showcased their expertise in microfluidic design and rapid prototyping products and services using a proprietary print approach eliminating caveats of other 3D printed approaches.

Boasting a team with over 30 years in engineering experience, Rapid Fluidics has members elected as chartered engineers to the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, as well as a PhD in new microfluidic design and materials.

Helping to shape the future of microfluidics, the team use their design expertise and novel 3D printing processes to dramatically cut your costs and development time. Functioning as a successful and innovative microfluidics consultancy, the team uses cuttingedge technology to prototype custom microfluidic devices for a variety of applications. Rapid

Fluidics has experience across the full spectrum of microfluidic device development from initial concept through to prototyping, testing, design iteration and design for manufacturing scale up.

Furthermore, the company also has a large range of ready-made parts to help take your development to the next level via their online shop.

Typically shipped within one working day from order, you’ll find items such as the Modular Microfluidic System (MMS), Modular Microfluidic Clamps, silicone ferrules, microfluidic adaptors, and much more – all fully customisable if desired.

For more information, please see below: 0330 0571119 info@rapidfluidics.com www.rapidfluidics.com

RECOMMENDED SUPPLIER Directory

Transform Employee Engagement with One Powerful Platform. Terryberry’s industry leading Recognition Platform is a single hub with everything you need to build an effective employee recognition programme in your organisation, including Milestone & Service Awards, Employee Benefits, Social Recognition and Engagement, Wellbeing and Feedback & Engagement.

Renray are committed to designing furniture, beds and interior solutions with the end user in mind and tailoring our services and solutions to fulfil your requirements and vision for your care home. Our health and social care furniture, profiling beds, PAC and medical equipment are manufactured in our purpose built factories in Cheshire and Europe.

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Biomed96 is a specialist in the medical equipment industry offering a comprehensive range of patient monitoring consumables, Oxygen concentrators, SonoStar ultrasound probes, handheld vital sign monitors, face masks, COVID Antigen test kit, Dental surgical items, Surgical Diathermy leads, Stethoscopes, Veterinary ultrasound & monitoring cables at lowest price with Free NHS delivery.

Pharmafilter offers innovative solutions that improve the cleanliness of environments in hospitals, airports, and other large-scale facilities.

Providing an infrastructure that creates simple work processes, Pharmafilter’s innovative, transformational waste and wastewater onsite treatment system is proven to combat Antimicrobial Resistance Bacteria, COVID-19, helping to establish a safer environment.

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MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING PRODUCTS & SERVICES

ATS: The heating, sensing and controlling suite of tomorrow

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n the past, thermal systems always had trade-offs that often made the ‘ideal’ system out of reach.

Whether budgetary concerns limit the number of temperature sensors, tight space requirements restrict the number of zones or the technology hampers how precise the heating systems are, these systems are often curated with compromise. Here, Sean Wilkinson, Product Manager at industrial technology company Watlow (pictured), explores how adaptive thermal systems (ATS) are designed to provide companies with the tools to build the heating systems they need, without forcing compromise.

A great heating system needs a great controller. Of course, better controllers are only worth the investment if it’s possible to achieve better control throughout the system. Improved control requires more sensors, which can be a costly proposition.

However, there are ways to get around high costs. High temperature coefficient resistance (TCR) materials respond to temperature changes with a change in resistance. By measuring that change, it’s possible to determine the temperature at that location.

Building heaters out of high TCR materials adds a sensing capability, adding measurements to places where they were previously impossible due to space or cost requirements.

Likewise, integrated thermocouple heater (TCH) junction temperature control turns heater power leads into a thermocouple junction. The voltage at this junction varies consistently with the surrounding temperature, so measuring it provides a spot measurement of the temperature at that location. Together, these two technologies offer expanded sensing options without additional wiring or extra controllers.

Multi-loop control and sensing Adopting high TCR materials or TCH junction temperature control can lead to an abundance of available data, which can be used to fine-tune processes and operating costs.

However, in other systems, the increased capabilities would lead to an exponential increase in necessary wiring, which may not be possible

due to space or budgetary requirements.

Watlow, which manufactures industrial heating technology, has decades of experience with thermal systems to help engineers and designers to incorporate ATS technology into a variety of industrial processes and products.

Watlow’s multi-loop control uses a multiplex wiring scheme that enables as many as ten times the number of zones per wire when combined with high TCR materials. Increasing zone density allows for unparalleled sensing and control without creating budgetary issues.

Additionally, the company developed a standardised harness for the ATS system, which reduces the complexity of installations and the number of design passes needed before installation can begin.

The power of modularity ATS’ true power comes from the fact that each system component is beneficial on its own, but together, they can transform a heating process from end to end. Whether designing a system from scratch or redesigning one that has not quite lived up to expectations, ATS brings something new to the table.

Many thermal system design projects reinvent the wheel at each stage of the process. ATS’s modular ‘off-the-shelf’ approach to many components not only lowers cost, but also reduces the number of design iterations needed before implementation to reduce lead time.

However, it is essential to remember that ATS is still customised to the exact needs of each application. Due to that, it represents the best of both worlds.

A system that can deliver the accurate temperature control needed for modern manufacturing while avoiding compromises related to cost, space, sensor density and heating control accuracy that other systems face.

ATS is a suite of solutions that can be tailored to specific engineering challenges, and without compromise as previously experienced. Now, ATS’s controllers, heating elements and sensors can help companies achieve breakthroughs in cost, efficiency, precision and data production, which can be used to help drive the next generation of growth within various manufacturing applications.

Please contact https://www.watlow.com

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BESPOKE CORRUGATED CARDBOARD PACKAGING COMPANY OF THE MONTH

Eco-friendly packaging for smaller UK companies I

n this issue of Products & Services Review, we are delighted to select Profile Packaging as our Bespoke Corrugated Cardboard Packaging Company of the Month.

We have previously featured Labels International, one of seven successful divisions of J & A (International) Limited: a powerhouse in the garment decoration speciality industry. Labels International offers an extensive wide-range of custom label products in high-resolution colour printing.

Now it is time to turn the spotlight onto Profile Packaging, the newest addition to the J & A family, already making waves in the packaging sector.

Established in August 2022, the division offers the following products: boxes, bags, pouches and stickers.

The web-based service offers users the chance to design stylish, eye-catching, bespoke packaging, with access to expert customer service support throughout.

Any creative startup or new cottage industry will tell you how important packaging is for branding and customer satisfaction. It is no longer an afterthought; it is integral to first impressions, product protection in transit and company reputation. Etsy first-timers, through to SMEs are looking for sustainable, eco-friendly packaging as this is now market-driven by customers. The Chartered Institute of Marketing makes no bones about publishing its annual ‘poll of shame:’ the worst plastic packaging repeat offenders. Its report last year found that 8/10 respondents wanted more sustainable packaging from all companies.

Profile Packaging is here help to alleviate this pain point with a user-friendly web-based service for customers, as Amy Salmond: Customer Sales Executive at Profile Packaging explains, “We’ve already had a hugely positive response to our newest division: Profile Packaging. Our full range of products from mailer boxes, pizza-style boxes, wine boxes, to twist handle bags, pouches with windows and add-on stickers have all gone down a storm.”

orders. That’s where we come in.”

“Often when you go onto Amazon, you can only bulk buy orders of 500 flat-pack mailer boxes, whereas we can offer much smaller bespoke orders, for the more discerning customer. Some new, smaller businesses are just starting out, are testing the water and don’t have the budget for large packaging

“For example, if you’re looking to sell sustainable coconut or rapeseed wax candles, with hemp

The Plastic Packaging Tax, brought into effect at the start of this financial year is designed to incentivise more recycled plastic and places a higher levy on plastic packaging produced or imported into the UK. With this mind, all eyes are on sourcing sustainable packaging and for first-time or smaller businesses, this can be a minefield.

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wicks, then you are most likely looking for the most sustainable packaging materials on the market.

Luckily, again this is where we come in.”

“Our mailer boxes are made from E-flute (1.5mm thick – 440gsm) corrugated cardboard. This is 100% recyclable, with recyclable content (60-70%), biodegradable, composable, plastic-free, veganfriendly and from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) sources.”

“That’s not all. FSC corrugated cardboard is often produced without dyes or bleaches, further increasing its recyclability and they have one of the best recycling percentages across any packaging material. The FSC is a global, NGO that has been focused on promoting responsible management of the world’s forest for almost thirty years. The FSC forest certification system is globally recognised for wood, paper and other forest products made with materials that support responsible forestry.”

“Corrugated cardboard is fully biodegradable and takes up to a year to degrade. Your customers will love being a part of the circular economy!”

The ‘flute type’ is referred to as the corrugated section in the middle of the two liners and the size of the flute (height) ranges from E, B, C, BC, to EB. The ‘E-flute’ is considered a very fine flute and offers excellent compression, strength, crush-resistance and for design purposes, and a higher-quality flat surface for printing. The E-flute is favoured for its easy foldability and is the product of choice for e-commerce packaging across many sectors.

transportation process. When the item/s are ready for shipping, why not consider a customised, recycled paper sticker to seal the boxes? Profile Packaging offer high-end, recycled paper stickers in sheet format.

Available on matt white or brown kraft recycled material, they add a unique branded or customised touch to your packaging,” added Amy. “Our FEFCO 0427 style – Mailer Boxes are definitely our most popular box products, to date. Customers love the choice of suggested sizes or bespoke options.

With interlocking flaps and wings, they are intuitively easy to assemble and need no adhesive to assemble and lock, making it even more sustainable. The double-thickness sidewalls offer more protection than standard corrugated cardboard packaging during the

Profile Packaging prides itself on its web-based, yet personalised customer service as Simon Holderness: UK Sales and Marketing Director outlines, “Profile Packaging is the newest, welcome addition to our long-established Lincolnshire family.”

“When it comes to designing packaging, some customers are a dab hand and know exactly what

design or colouring they want, whereas others struggle to get started or might get lost on our online service.

Amy is happy to help all customers throughout the week. She will guide you through the free Canva account service if required: the online graphic design tool, with the option of an upgrade to the premium Canva Pro service if required. Canva is the go-totool for companies around the world looking to create beautiful, bespoke designs from scratch.”

“We don’t just stop there though. We are currently looking at the feasibility of introducing a new AI-design tool in the future, to help our customers further. AI offers an unlimited, imaginative world of design possibilities and could take your designs from doable to dazzling, at the touch of a button within minutes.”

So why should you use Profile Packaging? ◆ Rapid lead times on delivery ◆ Competitive pricing for smaller orders (minimum order: £17) ◆ Customised sizing and designs with eco-friendly, premium inks ◆ Convenient online design tool ◆ Ideal for low-volume, self-employed businesses ◆ Samples available on request ◆ Highly sustainable corrugated cardboard packaging ◆ Expert (human – not robots!) customer service support ◆ UK-based company – supporting UK businesses If you’re looking to launch a new product line, re-brand existing models, wish to order a sample or simply need some advice and guidance on packaging, contact the sales team today through the contact details below: Please contact 01790 729900 (new customers) 01790 729901 (existing customers) sales@profile-packaging.co.uk https://www.ja-int.co.uk https://www.profile-packaging.co.uk

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CAMPING & CARVANNING PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Camping made easy: Offering the freedom to holiday anywhere

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ince the COVID-pandemic, camping and caravanning has boomed in the UK as part of the unprecedented summer staycation. One in five Brits took a camping or caravan holiday, according to market researchers Mintel. What’s astonishing, is that for 4.5 million of those, it was their very first experience in a tent or caravan.

A typical Summer British campsite is filled with caravans, motorhomes, tents and trailer tents, all enjoying the great outdoors. Trailer tents have gained in

popularity, with new models featuring the latest technical upgrades and available in new, attractive colour ranges.

Camp-let was established in 1969 in Arnum, Syddanmark, Denmark by two brothers, Hans and Poul Nissen. The Camp-let products remain a renowned brand across the camping and caravanning world today.

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In 2016, Isabella Group acquired the Camplet business, who continue to produce in the same Arnum factory. Isabella has been a leading manufacturer of caravan and motorhome awnings, trailer tents, camping furniture and equipment and a full range of accessories since 1957.

Camping Magazine, part of www.outandaboutlive.co.uk has been Britain’s No.1 camping magazine for over 60 years. Editor, Iain Duff, chose Isabella’s new Camp-let North trailer tent as the best buy for 2022. With upgraded modifications, the integrated poles allow for a speedy set-up, leaving you more time to enjoy the great outdoors. The roomy living area and ventilated sleeping cabins are perfect family holidays, with additional sun canopies and annexes available as

optional extensions. The robust isacryl canvas material makes this a serious longterm investment, retaining its value for years to come.

“The aim of the company is to offer an easy, comfortable camping experience,” commented Nathan Leighton, Field Sales Manager at Isabella International Camping Ltd. “Camp-let is a Danish word meaning ‘easy camping’ in English, and that has been the enduring motto since 1969. Not only this, it is very important to the company that the quality craftsmanship of the trailer is perfect. This is still apparent today, as they are each handmade by professionals with many years of experience. We are able to offer a repair service on the canvas with our in-house repair teams across Europe.”

The Camp-let trailer tents come in two models: North and Passion. The Northmodel as already highlighted, is incredibly user-friendly, with a quick, convenient setup. The roomy 18m2 interior sleeps a family of four, with additional bespoke sleeping compartments or kitchen space available.

The Camp-let Passion is a luxury trailer tent, perfect for an enjoyable stay in the great outdoors. The identical 18m2 interior can be easily extended to accommodate up to eight people, adding an annex on either side. This ergonomic trailer tent has integrated dark curtains: guaranteeing a comfortable daytime interior climate, coupled with blackout features for a perfect night’s sleep.

The trailer tent is lightweight, easily manoeuvrable on tight bends and isn’t affected by strong, gusty British winds!

Isabella has road-tested Camp-let trailer tents towed with electric vehicles, checking safety and fuel-efficiency.

Extensive tests have shown that there is negligible effect on electric vehicle charging capability. This is good news for electric car owners everywhere: now you drive an eco-car and continue to enjoy the great outdoors.

As mentioned earlier, the whole outdoor leisure industry inadvertently boomed during the COVID-pandemic, with many new Brits trying camping or caravanning for the first time, as Nathan elaborates, “Once the country was allowed some more freedom, this is where our industry had a massive boost, as international travel was not possible, but people still wanted a holiday. Therefore, we had an influx of new users into the industry who may not have ever thought about camping before or thought camping was not for them.

And despite the abroad holidays returning, people have found that the new freedom of having a trailer is unique: you can go on holiday virtually whenever you want.”

“Our historical customer base has always varied from people who have had caravans previously and now want something easier and smaller to manage with towing and set up.”

“We believe our current target audience is families with young children, that have enjoyed camping in tents previously, but now want the next step up with off-theground sleeping, cooking options, etc.”

“We also cater to the outdoorsy/ adventure people who like to cycle, walk, paddleboard, etc. This gives them a base where they can then go out to enjoy their hobbies. The additional extras that we can offer, such as bike racks, storage bags/boxes etc give the opportunity to take their hobbies with them and easily.”

For those die-hard caravan fans, reluctant to convert to trailer tents or those hesitant about its comfort or functionality, Isabella offers a ‘try before you buy’ scheme.

Customers can hire the North or Passion model for a maximum of four consecutive nights. After the trial, if you would like to purchase a trailer, the price of the hire is refunded from the cost: terms & conditions apply.

To view the trailer tent range, caravan and motorhome awnings, camping equipment and all related accessories, see the full list of retailers and the website below: 01844 202099 www.isabella.net/uk/find-a-retailer www.isabella.net/uk/trailer-tents

One of the main advantages of a trailer tent over a caravan is its lower weight (on average just below 500kg), making it a perfect towing companion for all vehicles, even a touring motorbike! In strong winds, caravan motorists are advised not to drive, due to safety concerns and hairpin bends in the Scottish Highlands or Italian Eastern Alps are inaccessible for caravans.

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EXPLOSION PROTECTION PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Explosion protection: Your safety, our priority A

s the industrial filtration, bulk handling and process industries face the constant challenge of explosion hazards, MacClancy and Sons Ltd emerges as a reliable partner in workplace safety. Their range of integrated Fire and Explosion Mitigation solutions includes top-of-theline fire & explosion protection systems.

In this article, we explore the critical role of these systems in mitigating risks and maintaining a safe and secure working environment for your personnel, plant and property.

The Importance of Effective Explosion Protection Systems Explosions in industrial settings can sadly have catastrophic consequences, posing threats to human life, property, and operations. Investing in reliable explosion protection systems is a simple proactive approach to safeguarding your facility against potential disasters and it could cost less than you think.

Cutting-Edge Explosion Protection Systems Early Detection: Raptor Spark detection systems feature advanced infrared sensors capable of detecting even the slightest presence of sparks, embers or even glowing dust particles. Early detection enables swift responses to potential ignition sources in multiple protected zones, which can prevent a full deluge scenario across your plant.

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Rapid Isolation & Venting: In the event of an explosion, VigilEX products simultaneously close isolation valves and release over-pressure via sacrificial explosion vents in milliseconds, preventing any escalation beyond your filter, minimizing collateral damage and maximising safe working areas.

Customisation and Flexibility MacClancy and Sons understand that each industrial facility has unique explosion risks. Therefore, systems are customisable and adaptable to specific needs, whilst providing optimal protection.

Long-Term Impact on Safety By integrating VigilEX explosion protection & Raptor Spark detection systems into your workplace, you

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are demonstrating your strong commitment to the safety and well-being of your employees. A safe work environment fosters trust, which is known to increase productivity. A well-protected and safe workplace also reduces downtime due to better housekeeping, reduced safety related incidents or accidents and helps enhance your company’s reputation as an employer who leads the way in safety and safe working practices.

These explosion protection & detection systems are a crucial part of a comprehensive safety strategy for industrial filtration, bulk handling and process industries. With their cutting-edge technology, customisation options, and expert guidance, they can empower your facility to stay ahead of any potential explosion risks and protect your assets.

Please contact 07884 350337 james@macclancyandsons.co.uk www.macclancyandsons.com www.vigilexuk.com

PROTECTIVE CASES PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Pioneering Sustainability in Rotational Moulding

CP Cases collaborates with Matrix Polymer & Queen’s University for a Recyclable Bio Polymer Project: Pioneering Sustainability in Rotational Moulding n a world striving for sustainability, the manufacturing industry faces a transformative challenge to reduce its environmental impact.

Among the innovative pioneers leading the charge is CP Cases, renowned for producing protective cases and containers. In a groundbreaking partnership with Matrix Polymer, experts in rotomoulding materials and Queen’s University, a renowned research institution, all playing a pivotal role in a feasibility study project funded by Innovate UK for introducing a field-tested recyclable Bio Polymer.

This project focuses on revolutionising rotational moulding by integrating Matrix Polymer’s cuttingedge materials, with sustainability at the forefront.

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A shared vision: The collaboration between CP Cases, Matrix Polymer, and Queen’s University is a testament to their shared commitment to sustainable innovation.

These industry leaders have come together under the umbrella of Innovate UK’s initiative, aiming to introduce the power of recyclable bio-polymers into the rotational moulding process, thus paving the way for a more eco-friendly manufacturing approach.

Matrix Polymer’s Pioneering Materials: Matrix Polymer brings to the table its expertise in raw materials, as a leading supplier to the rotational

moulding industry. With a focus on reducing carbon emissions and plastic waste, these materials align seamlessly with the project’s core objective of sustainability. Matrix Polymer’s key objective is to bring fresh ideas and exciting new materials to the market and strong technical roots are a cornerstone of this collaboration.

Queen’s university’s research excellence: The research ability of Queen's University plays an integral role in this collaborative endeavour. With a deep understanding of material science and manufacturing processes, the university is providing critical insights and technical expertise to validate the feasibility of creating recyclable bio-polymers to introduce into rotational moulding. Their involvement ensures that the project’s outcomes are grounded in scientific rigour.

CP Cases’ legacy of innovation: CP Cases specialises in crafting high-quality protective solutions for a wide array of industries.

Leveraging decades of experience, they design and manufacture custom cases, containers, and enclosures that safeguard valuable equipment and delicate instruments from even the harshest conditions. Their commitment to innovation and precision ensures that their solutions not only meet but exceed the stringent demands of various sectors, including defence, aerospace, technology, and more. With an unwavering focus on quality and functionality, CP Cases is your trusted partner in safeguarding your assets wherever your journey takes you.

Their dedication to sustainability and their commitment to pushing the boundaries of rotational moulding make them an invaluable contributors to the project. CP Cases’ reputation for precision and forward thinking makes them an ideal collaborator in this ambitious endeavour.

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The innovate UK recyclable bio-polymer testing project in action: The project’s success hinges on rigorous testing and validation, a process guided by the combined expertise of CP Cases, Matrix Polymer, and Queen's University. Through meticulous examination of the materials’ performance within rotational moulding processes, the collaboration aims to ensure a seamless integration that meets industry standards and requirements.

Eco-conscious impact on industries: The impact of this collaborative effort could be profound across industries reliant on rotational moulding.

Sectors such as aerospace, automotive, and packaging stand to gain from these eco-friendly alternatives. By reducing reliance on traditional plastics, these industries can significantly decrease their carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future.

A beacon of sustainability: CP Cases, Matrix Polymer, and Queen’s University are not only pioneers in their fields but also examples of collaborative action for the greater good. Their involvement in this Innovate UK-funded project sets a precedent for innovation that is driven by a commitment to sustainability. As these companies push the boundaries of possibility, they illuminate the path to a greener, more resilient manufacturing landscape.

The collaboration between CP Cases, Matrix Polymer, and Queen's University is a harmonious symphony of innovation, research, and sustainability. As they navigate the complexities of creating recyclable bio-polymers for rotational moulding, they are not just changing the game; they’re rewriting the rules for manufacturing as a whole. This partnership is a testament to the transformative power of collective action and a beacon of hope for a more sustainable future.

Please contact +44 (0)20 8568 1881 info@cpcases.com https://cpcases.com

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TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Drugs and alcohol at work – is your company protected?

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ith an increasing emphasis on a company’s responsibility to ensure its employees are fit for work, and the UK Government clamping down on drink and drug drivers, businesses are now being urged more than ever before to ensure that they are adopting best practice health and safety procedures for drugs and alcohol misuse in the workplace.

Anyone with residual alcohol in their body is SIX times more likely to have an accident – not just driving a vehicle, but operating machinery such as forklifts, cranes or cutting equipment.

According to the Department for Transport drugs and alcohol cost, British businesses in excess of £6 billion per year in lost productivity and a third of employers say alcohol and drug misuse is a problem at work. On top of this there is also the potential damage to a business’s reputation should they be held accountable for an employee’s wrongdoing. However, with the plethora of testing equipment and information on offer, it is not always easy to know where to start with implementing an effective drugs and alcohol testing policy.

Suzannah Robin is Operations Director with alcohol and drug safety expert at AlcoDigital. She works with dozens of corporate and governmental organisations addressing their alcohol and drug testing needs. For the last 22 years, she has helped numerous businesses to implement their drug and alcohol testing policies for their staff through certified training programmes. These include the correct use of safety equipment, accurately interpreting results and spotting the different signs and symptoms of drug and alcohol misuse. She said, “We have helped companies in many different industry sectors to implement robust alcohol and drug policies and one of the things that concerns all of them from the outset is how their employees

are going to react to a new testing policy being introduced.”

result proves positive, to testing employees before shifts with a handheld digital device.”

“Of course, there may be some reluctance from employees so companies should always communicate clearly with their staff before introducing new policies so that they can fully understand the rationale behind them and what the potential consequences of a positive test will be.”

“Other companies may find it more beneficial to implement a random screening procedure to act as a deterrent – this is especially useful if daily testing is not possible or suitable.”

So what makes a good alcohol and drug testing policy? Suzannah says it all depends on how the company operates, “If a company has staff working on heavy machinery or they employ commercial drivers then we would recommend regular testing – this could be anything from fitting an interlock breathalyzer (such as the new Drivealyzer) to a vehicle, which will immobilise the engine if the

If implemented effectively drug and alcohol policies can help to reduce absenteeism, increase worker productivity and improve customer satisfaction.

“We have found that regular random testing of employees for drugs and alcohol has resulted in significant benefits for improving safety and safeguarding businesses from the potential fallout of lost revenue and reputational damage,” says Suzannah. “However, many more companies, particularly those in the transport industry or those operating heavy machinery, need to do more to improve standards not just for the safety of their employees but to protect the general public as well.”

AlcoDigital provides free consultations for companies looking to implement drug and alcohol policies. Please call: +44 (0)208 454 7372 to book an appointment.

To buy online, please visit AlcoDigital’s online store, breathalyzer.co.uk for the full range of Alcohol and Drug testing equipment and consumables.

For Online and Onsite Training, visit: AlcoDigital. academy. For Vehicle Alcohol Interlocks, go to: Drivealyzer.co.uk – and for the latest cloudbased technology with Facial Recognition offering completely unsupervised, round-theclock, remote testing, visit: WorkSober.co.uk Please visit: alcodigital.co.uk

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FOOD & DRINK RETAIL PRODUCTS & SERVICES

RECOMMENDED SUPPLIER DIRECTORY

We offer high-quality Explosion Protection and Spark Protection equipment from our wide range of Vent Panels, Flameless Vents and Isolation Valves as well as Sensors, Environmental and Safety Protection and our NEW Raptor Spark detection kits.

Chevronshop is a division of Bluelite Graphics, a pioneer and UK market leader in the supply of chapter8 compliant vehicle chevrons and graphics. We have a growing design list of products that fit over 110 models of vehicles used in service across the UK. In 2021, the company celebrates its 15 year anniversary of supplying chevrons and graphics to not only the UK but worldwide customers.

We provide consultancy, calculations and a free initial site visit.

ELAFLEX LTD are based in Hertfordshire. We are the prime suppliers for the UK and Irish markets of all ELAFLEX products including ZVA nozzles, petrol pump hoses, breakaway couplings, and products for CNG, LNG, H2, Chemical, Pharma, LPG, Bitumen and Aviation refuelling industries. Discover our Rubber Bellows and bespoke hose reels! We also operate from Stockport, near Manchester.

Visit elaflex.co.uk and explore more with our product configurators.

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For over 50 years, CP Cases have been at the forefront of designing and manufacturing an extensive range of bespoke cases and 19-inch racks, which is why we have the perfect formula to provide innovation, durability and high-performance cases to a range of industries, including security, medical, broadcast and much more.

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