DipHex Solutions Featured in Health and Safety Matters
Our article on raising the standard in chemical burn first aid has been published in one of the UK's leading health and safety publications.
We are delighted to feature in Health and Safety Matters — one of the UK's most respected and widely read publications for health, safety and environmental professionals.
The article, titled "Raising the Standard in Chemical Burn First Aid", sets out the clinical and operational case for active chemical decontamination over traditional water-based first aid — and why the gap between standard provision and best practice matters.
What the article covers
The central argument is one we have been making to safety and emergency professionals for years: water rinses and dilutes. It does not stop a chemical burn. Within 10 seconds of a corrosive or irritant chemical contacting skin or eyes, the chemical has already begun diffusing into tissue. The next 50 seconds may determine whether the injury remains reversible. Beyond that, the risk of deeper tissue damage, extended recovery time, and hospital admission increases significantly.
Most emergency shower and eyewash provision is designed to flush the surface. It is not designed to address what is already happening beneath it. Diphoterine® is — and that is the distinction that the Health and Safety Matters feature brings to a wider professional audience.
Why this matters for UK industry
Chemical burns account for a disproportionate share of serious workplace injuries. They are frequently underestimated at the point of incident — particularly alkali burns, which can appear superficial while causing progressive deep tissue damage — and the consequences for the individual can be severe and lasting.
EN15154 requires that emergency decontamination provision is accessible within 10 seconds of a chemical exposure. For the majority of UK workplaces that handle corrosive or irritant chemicals, the honest answer to whether that standard is met at every chemical handling location is no. Fixed plumbed-in showers are not portable. They cannot follow the risk. And where maintenance operations, remote working locations, confined spaces, or cold store environments are involved, the gap between where provision is sited and where incidents actually happen can be significant.
Diphoterine® addresses this directly. Portable, requiring no plumbing, and active across all seven major classes of chemical aggressor, and the systems provide EN15154-compliant decontamination at the point of risk.
About Health and Safety Matters
Health and Safety Matters is a leading UK publication serving health, safety and environmental professionals across industry. With over 12,000 followers on LinkedIn and a readership spanning EHS managers, safety officers, facilities managers, and operational directors, it is a trusted platform for evidence-based workplace safety guidance.
Being featured in Health and Safety Matters reflects our commitment to advancing the standard of chemical first aid knowledge across UK industry — not just supplying the products that meet that standard, but ensuring that the professionals responsible for their workforce's safety have access to the information they need to make the right decisions.
Read the article
The full article is available on the Health and Safety Matters website here. If it raises questions about your own chemical first aid provision — or if you want to discuss whether your current setup genuinely meets the 10-second EN15154 standard at every chemical handling location on your site — we would be glad to hear from you.
Contact DipHex on 01622 851000 or at enquiries@diphex.com to arrange a Technical Site Survey or request further information.
