Manufacturing Company Develops Hydropod

Northern Ireland company rises to the challenges presented by Covid 19

A practical but multifaceted portable hand washing station which will help in the protection against the coronavirus has been developed by a Northern Ireland manufacturing company.

Jans Composites Ltd, based in Antrim, a company known for the manufacture of bus and automotive products, has applied their expertise and know-how to the new Hydropod product which has the potential to help protect many consumers against coronavirus.

Hydropod, the brainchild of CEO, Ronan Hamill, came about after various supermarket shopping trips where he found the use of alcohol-based hand gel unpleasant. After talking to friends and colleagues who felt the same way, Ronan wondered what was wrong with just washing your hands with soap and water, after all, that was the government message – wash your hands.

Ronan Hamill explains; “For me the idea was simple, why do we need a hand sanitising unit, why can we not just wash our hands. I came into work, briefed my colleagues and as a team we set about the design, the development and then the manufacture of a portable handwashing station which can be dropped into any location to service any organisation in any sector.

“The team has been exceptional and really risen to the challenge I set them in terms of design and manufacture. I’m delighted with the Hyrdopod, I wanted it to be a simple handwashing station which was sophisticated in design and delivery and could operate anywhere, inside or outside a building.

“From an antibacterial gel coat on the GRP (glass reinforced plastic) to programmable sensor taps and a hands-free paper towel dispenser, water filters, polycarbonate screens which are vandal resistant, sink and dispenser heights, adjustable to comply with wheelchair regulation, this modular station has many practical and easy to clean features.”

From their new state-of-the-art 9,250m2 factory in Antrim, the highly skilled workforce developed the portable hand washing station that can be dropped into to any location without the need for a constant water or power supply.

Ronan is also convinced that certain behaviours like washing your hands more frequently will remain with us long after the Covid pandemic has gone. “Businesses can’t keep using these expensive gels for their customers and the cumulative use of them has got to have a detrimental effect on people’s skin. This makes much more sense, after all, this has been and continues to be the guidance, to wash your hands.”

The Hydropod will provide an alternative to many sanitising units and Jans Composites envisages it being used in shopping malls, theme parks, sports grounds, schools and anywhere that handwashing is a pre-requisite to entering a facility. To that end, Jans Composites has appointed Environmental Street Furniture as their sales and distribution partner for the United Kingdom.

“It’s a new direction for Jans but everyone here is excited about making a product that reduces the risk of infection for others. We are also delighted to team up with Alan Lowry and Environmental Street Furniture as our sales and distribution partner. We believe that this is an excellent fit for us and the product.

Ronan concludes, “I would just like to add that we must all stay safe and how important it is to continue to wash our hands.”