Industrial Decontamination Services (IDS) is preparing to open a PPE decontamination facility in Northamptonshire, bringing its cleaning and lifecycle management services to UK fire, emergency services and industrial organisations.
Northamptonshire facility planned
The facility is expected to open by the end of the year and will provide cleaning, decontamination, repair, tracking and lifecycle management for protective clothing and equipment.
IDS UK is backed by more than 30 years of experience in Australia and is establishing the UK operation to support organisations managing PPE across operational environments.
PPE decontamination and care
The company uses specialist low temperature processes designed to reduce contamination while protecting the integrity and service life of PPE.
Once operational, the Northamptonshire facility will provide decontamination to NFPA 1850 standards, alongside asbestos level decontamination.
The service will cover protective clothing and equipment including operational jackets, trousers, SCBA masks, boots and helmets.
Independent PPE support
IDS UK will operate independently of PPE manufacturers and suppliers, allowing organisations to use the service across equipment from different providers.
The company is also targeting a 48 hour turnaround for equipment passing through the facility.
Digital PPE tracking
A live asset tracking platform will allow firefighters and administrators to monitor equipment throughout its lifecycle.
The system is intended to provide visibility over the status of individual assets as they move through cleaning, decontamination, repair and return processes, supporting equipment management and recordkeeping.
The combination of specialist decontamination and asset tracking is intended to help fire and emergency services maintain oversight of PPE condition, servicing and availability throughout its operational life.
Ben Jones, Managing Director of IDS Group, said: “IDS UK combines world-leading technology, proven sustainable processes and competitive, simplified pricing to help fire and rescue services to protect their people, extend PPE life and gain confidence that critical equipment is ready when it matters most.
“In the UK, the debate around cleaning and decontamination is intensifying. Whilst some advocate for high-temperature cleaning, we do not.
“The challenge for fire and rescue services is to achieve effective PPE decontamination without compromising the life span of the PPE.
“At IDS, we have found the right balance. Our low-temperature decontamination process has been shown to extend the typical life of a firefighting ensemble and consistently cleans to asbestos-level standards, removing the guesswork around the level of cleaning required.
“This also ensures complete transparency and eliminates hidden costs.
“Our conversations with UK fire and rescue services also tell us that operational resilience is a key priority: they want real-time PPE tracking and tracing and minimal downtime, and with tight budgets, this is more important than ever.”
“IDS has been doing this in Australia for over 30 years and our tried and tested complete care service works.
“Our Northants facility is just the start, we plan to establish more sites across the UK as business grows.”
Louise Christie, Emergency Services Logistics Coordinator and customer in Australia, said: “The speed and reliability of the IDS service has had a significant impact on our operations. Their efficient collection, decontamination and return process consistently delivers outstanding turnaround times, helping us to keep our teams equipped and operational.”
Mark Teale, Emergency Services Procurement Lead and customer in Australia, said: “The quality of decontamination and garment care provided by IDS has helped extend the lifespan of our PPE while giving our teams greater confidence in the safety of their equipment.”
