500% growth for Scottish manufacturer fighting COVID-19
The Scottish-based hygiene product manufacturer, Aqualution Systems, forecasts 500% growth in turnover as a result of COVID-19 increasing demand for its sanitising, anti-virus, infection control, ‘Salvesan’ brand of hypochlorous acid disinfectant which kills 99.9999% of viruses and bacteria in seconds.
During April, the business secured sales equal to its full year turnover in the financial year 18/19.
To keep up with demand, the business has opened a new facility in Coldstream, in the Scottish Borders, ten miles south of its primary manufacturing facility in Duns. The second unit has enabled the business to immediately increase production from 4,000 litres per day to 14,000 litres per day with the potential to produce up to 34,000 litres per day. The extra capacity was required to fulfil bulk orders and to satisfy international demand from Europe, the Middle East, China, Africa and Canada.
Nick Meakin, CEO at Aqualution Systems, said: “Our product system and regime is providing businesses and healthcare facilities with the best probability of protecting against infection and cross-contamination. The production and application of hypochlorous acid, proven to protect against COVID-19, is quickly, simply and effectively creating a healthier environment and helping business and people get back to work.”
Salvesan has been formulated using Aqualution’s own technology which was invented by its team of British scientists with a pharmaceuticals background. Available as a surface disinfectant, deodouriser, hand sanitiser, wipe and soft furnishing disinfectant, the product can also be applied via an approved fogging system for rapid air and environmental sanitation.
The Aqualution technology generates hypochlorous acid (HOCl), the chemical produced by the human immune system to fight infection. The electro-dialysis process which was designed in-house, produces a stable, fast-acting biocide with many different uses, and, it is environmentally-friendly and completely skin-safe.
Professor Clive Bowman, consultant physician, gerontologist, medical director and visiting professor at City University London, said: “Thorough cleaning with detergent followed by disinfection with hypochlorous solution (Salvesan) using individual cloths for individual rooms/areas is simple, practical, affordable, safe and effective insofar as hypochlorous unlike most disinfectants is non-toxic to humans.”
The products are already widely used effectively in the food supply chain, including those supplying M&S, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s; in the pet care and veterinary sector; and around 10% of UK dentists (this has doubled in the last three weeks as dentists seek to enhance infection control to enable practices to re-open). A number of care homes have now used the product and demonstrated strong results and the business expects this sector to grow quickly in the current climate.
Raymond Hamill, NHS Lanarkshire senior research and development manager, said: “Aqualution has been working with NHS Lanarkshire on the exciting clinical and infection control benefits that the hypochlorous acid molecule offers for some time, with considerable success both in the pre and post Covid environment.”
Certification
Aqualution Systems is the review programme participant for hypochlorous acid under the Biocidal Products Regulation 528/2012 (the European legislation that controls the registration and approvals for biocides in the EU) having compiled the dossiers to gain approval for the use of the active substance on humans, in environmental and surface cleaning, in animal welfare and veterinary applications, in food and feed areas and in water treatment.
Aqualution’s products are formulated from the active substance hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and are fully compliant with the European Biocidal Products Regulations (BPR). These products have been tested to rigorous internationally recognised efficacy standards, including
BS EN 1276, BS EN 13704, BS EN 1656, BS EN 14204 and BS EN 1500.
