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Arrow opens its doors to tackle Zika threat

Tackling the threat of the Zika virus was on the agenda recently, when Arrow Solutions hosted one of the Port Health Special Interest Group’s quarterly meetings.

More than 20 members visited the company’s manufacturing facility in the East Midlands to discuss how they can help prevent the spread of the virus at ports and airports in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

They were given an update by Alex Vaux (Public Health England) on the results of a new mosquito surveillance project being undertaken by many of the UK’s sea and airports, whilst Arrow’s Technical Manager walked them through the current requirements regarding aircraft disinsection and the various application methods and products available to them.

There was also the opportunity for SIG members to network, discuss ongoing CPD opportunities and take a guided tour of the firm’s state-of-the-art manufacturing plant.

“Zika really came to prominence in 2016 and we have been carefully monitoring how the virus is developing and what risks it poses to the UK,” explained David Jones, Secretary of the Port Health Special Interest Group.

“We wanted to tackle the subject in depth and were approached by Arrow Solutions to host our meeting at their facility. This seemed ideal as the company is one of only a small number of aircraft disinsectant manufacturers in the world.”

He continued: “It was a really good session with our members gaining lots of useful information and forging new relationships that could be helpful to them in their daily jobs, keeping our seas and airports safe.”

Arrow Solutions is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of cleaning and maintenance products, supplying clients across a range of industries, including aerospace, rail, engineering, energy and marine.

The firm, which is headquartered in Leicestershire, has seen demand for its aircraft disinsectant grow considerably, as more airlines attempt to combat the threat of Zika being transferred from country to country.

Chemists at the business are also working to develop new variants to counter recent changes in legislation surrounding the control of this type of product.

Neil Hembury, Technical Manager at Arrow Solutions, said: “We were delighted to invite the Port Health SIG to our factory and talk with them about the challenge of Zika and what can be done to contain the virus.

“Our aircraft disinsectant has proved a very effective way of treating commercial and military aircraft and we have significant resources in place to offer training on how to use the product and educating industry on suitable applications.”

He concluded: “The SIG meeting was a great chance for us to also learn from the Port Health members and the challenges they face.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Russ Cockburn .