Tony Hughes, managing director of Hughes Safety Showers, one of Europe's largest manufacturers of emergency safety showers, eyebaths, and decontamination equipment, is calling for insurance companies to remind policyholders of the risks they take by ignoring legislation. It comes in response to the insurers own claim that in view of mounting litigation, they cannot continue to keep paying for injuries to employees at work.

Property insurers insist that policyholders must have certain types of equipment, such as fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems and alarms systems, on written maintenance contracts with a qualified service provider. Liability insurers do not impose similar conditions, in part because protective legislation already exists.

'At present, insurers put more conditions on policy holders to protect property than they do to protect people,' says Mr Hughes. 'As a result of this, some employers do not even purchase safety equipment, and of those that do, many fail to properly maintain it. Often, they try to do it themselves but without the correct servicing equipment or spare parts, the inexperienced find it very difficult, if not impossible, to do properly.'

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Inoperative equipment

'It is not uncommon for potentially life saving emergency showers to be stripped down then left inoperative for days until a replacement part can be obtained or a problem rectified. Consequently, people are at risk because vital safety equipment is not available or not in good working order. Poor maintenance is not always immediately obvious, and without detailed examination, can easily go unnoticed-until there's an emergency, and then it is too late.'

Legislation exists covering such issues (eg COSHH Regulations, Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations, Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations). Companies, however, need to be reminded that breaches of health and safety legislation not only put lives at risk, but mean there is a potential for prosecution and possible repudiation of liability by insurers.

Relaunched website

The company has redesigned and expanded its web site to give even faster access to its complete range of products. The site has information on industry standards and legislation, and offers practical advice on selecting and looking after this equipment.

The new website is bigger, better and even easier to use; all the information required to make the right decisions for selecting and looking after this potentially life saving equipment is collated.

Information on the company's export product range is available in four languages. Visitors to the site can check out new products, download literature and data sheets and order free copies of the company's training videos, CDs and posters.

Hughes Safety Showers, tel: +44(0)161 430 6618; fax: +44(0)161 430 7928; www.hughes-safety-showers.co.uk

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