MEDIA RELEASE

As lockdown eases and people flock to the coast, Jo Bird announces new top quality, durable rescue line container

The easing of lockdown has seen a wave of people visiting the seaside, inland waterways and marinas to take advantage of the freedom brought by inviting water and the pursuit of water sports. Never has it been more important to have readily accessible rescue equipment close at hand for anyone getting into difficulty.

Available now, the SOS603 from award winning Jo Bird is a dedicated rescue line container, developed in conjunction with Hillside design, to complement its well-established range of lifebuoy housings.

Marketing Manager Nick Atkins from Jo Bird commented, "We are well aware that environments close to water can experience high winds and heavy rain so a durable solution that would keep a rescue line accessible had to be found. Other types of storage unit such as fire extinguisher cabinets and lifebuoy housings were not designed for this equipment and in some cases were far larger than they needed to be. This is why we developed the SOS603 that houses the increasingly popular rescue lines used by emergency services."

He continues, "Anyone responsible for water safety from harbour masters to marina managers as well as council-managed waterways will find the SOS603 provides an ideal storage solution."

The new model has a number of advantages. It has been designed to fit around the most popular rescue lines on the market but is still compact and features a very robust design with the body and door made in impact resistant UV stabilised polyethylene and the metal fixings in 316 stainless steel. Therefore high winds and salt spray will not be a problem.

The door hinges down to release the rescue line and the lid catch can be fitted with an anti-tamper seal or a combination padlock. The latter is becoming more popular as it means a potential rescuer can phone the emergency services, quote the location reference on the front of the container and will be given the four digit access code to open the door. This is a very effective way of ensuring it is only opened in an emergency and will serve as a deterrent to the curious.

The SOS603 can be displayed in a variety of ways. It can be bolted to a wall or onto a beach safety sign or rail mounted; alternatively Jo Bird can provide a durable GRP post kit to enable it to be free standing. There is also a taller version with a fire extinguisher cabinet for use on jetties in marinas - the SOS603T.

The recent spike in the number of water rescue incidents is testament to the importance of rescue equipment. According to the Royal Lifesaving society, "Drowning accidents are especially high in the summer months and over the last few years, we have heard of too many tragedies that could have been avoided."  The same organisation quotes an average figure of 70 people from the UK drowning each year so the combination of good weather and less lifeguard coverage is especially worrying.

All councils and organisations responsible for water safety have to do a risk assessment to determine the number and type of rescue equipment needed for each location. Invaluable guidance on this can be found in the RNLI guide to Beach safety-signs-flags and symbols v2 (2007).

The SOS603 and SOS603T are now available to order from Jo Bird distributors.

Captions: Top pic SOS603 can be rail mounted; middle pic shows door hinge released to release rescue line; the taller SOS603 is for use on jetties in marinas.

For more company information contact Nick Atkins, T/:01278 785546 or E/: nick.atkins@jobird.co.uk      or visit: www.jobird.co.uk.

For further information and more high res images, please contact Jane Adkins, A Head for PR, T/: 01935 813114 or E/: jane@aheadforpr.co.uk 

Editor's Notes:

Since its establishment in 1986, Jo Bird has developed its products to meet the demands of a range of industries and environments. Its Firebird GRP cabinets and Toughstore cabinets are used by clients around the world, including multinational companies such as BP, Shell, Exxon Mobil and Total. Jo Bird also operates in the energy sector (offshore wind, oil & gas, refining, power generation), as well as marine and defence. The company is also able to custom make cabinets to protect equipment as small as a smoke hood and as large as 120 lifejackets.

Uniquely among UK manufacturers, Jo Bird has been awarded Lloyd's Register Type Test Approval for many of its lifesaving and fire safety storage solutions. This, together with the ISO 9001 and 14001 certifications, serves as an independent endorsement of the quality of its products.

June 2020 (Jo Bird 05)