Making Portsmouth’s Hospital FireSafe

10 November 2009

BOC Healthcare has installed FireSafe oxygen arrestors throughout Portsmouth's Queen Alexandra Hospital, as part of an extensive fire prevention programme implemented by Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust.

Queen Alexandra Hospital has recently undergone a major extension - the new facilities opened for business on 15 June this year. The new hospital has 1,400 beds and its Emergency Department treats over 100,000 patients a year - making it one of the busiest in the UK.

The Trust's Fire Safety Advisor had identified the bedside supply of oxygen as one area which needed upgrading. He recommended that all the outlets in the wards be fitted with oxygen arresters to prevent the spread of fire. FireSafe nozzles, supplied by BOC Healthcare, were chosen and have now been fitted throughout the hospital.

The FireSafe nozzles are attached to the oxygen flowmeters which control the amount of oxygen supplied to patients. Should the cannula catch fire, the FireSafe device cuts the supply of oxygen: in this way it minimises the risk of an oxygen-supported fire occurring on the wards.

Melanie Baird, BOC Healthcare Account Manager, commented: "Oxygen is a key part of so many medical therapies today but as the country's largest producer of medical and industrial gases we realise that it requires careful handling. The FireSafe nozzles we provide to customers are an important way of minimising the risks while maximising the benefits of medical oxygen."

BOC

BOC is a member of The Linde Group. An industrial, medical and special gases provider, the company supplies compressed and bulk gases, chemicals and equipment. For more than a century the company's gases and expertise have contributed to advances in many areas of everyday life, and industries including steelmaking, refining, chemical processing, environmental protection, wastewater treatment, welding and cutting, food processing and distribution, glass production, electronics and health care. For more information see BOC online at www.boconline.co.uk

The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering company with almost 50,000 employees working in around 100 countries worldwide. In the 2008 financial year it achieved sales of EUR 12.7 billion. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment - in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development. For more information, see The Linde Group online at www.linde.com

For further information about this release email or call Simon Napper on 07500 815166