Maintenance Spill Kits
Product / Service: Maintenance spill kits | Project Undertaken: From November 2023 | Industry: Healthcare
Why Darcy?
Our client conducted a cost comparison with other suppliers of spill absorbents and equipment. This determined that Darcy Spillcare provided the best value for money in terms of both the initial provision of spill kits and ongoing management as they can provide direct spill kit refills. Darcy Spillcare also had the ability to provide bespoke kits to meet their client’s needs providing further value for money.
What was the brief?
When our contact started working for an estates management partner for a major healthcare provider, they knew who to call to make purchasing spill kits more efficient. Our client has had a relationship with Darcy Spillcare spanning a decade through their previous organisation. To prevent pollution, our client wanted to ensure all sites with a pollution source have emergency spill kits. They soon realised they also wanted to enhance and standardise the current spill kits on sites around England as they weren’t adequate – they didn’t contain the right equipment to tackle a spill. The client wanted bespoke kits that would suit the needs of over 150 healthcare sites nationwide and for an online ordering system to be set up so that each site can order its bespoke kits and products efficiently.
What did the Darcy Group do?
We worked closely with the client to mix and match items to build 120L wheelie bin and 50L grab bag maintenance spill kits containing only the products their sites will need. We described what the kits usually contain and listened to the client’s needs to understand what products they would require. As a result, we swapped out a couple of products for ones that would be more suitable and added barrier tape.
Having discussed the client’s requirements, we agreed on an estimate for delivery of the spill kits. Due to the volume of kits, we sent them out as they were put together. All 156 kits were delivered within the agreed timeframe of three weeks.
The spill kits were delivered to the sites across England with tamper tags so that site teams can see at a glance whether the kits have been opened. This means staff spend less time on inventories, making more efficient use of their hours on shift. Each site was also sent signage, so the spill kits are easy to identify and they could set up designated emergency spill stations.
The client wants to ensure efficient ordering of replacement spill kits and individual products from within the kits so they can be replenished. When the contact was with their previous company, they arranged an online ordering set up with Darcy. We were able to replicate this for the estates management company.
We agreed with the client what products they would need to order on a regular basis and a special price for them. The sites share one login that they can use to access the Darcy Spillcare online store to order their bespoke kits and specified products at their agreed prices. The website is available 24/7 which works well for the site teams as they often work unsociable hours, and it could be tricky for them to have to phone up to place an order.
What was the outcome?
Over 150 healthcare sites across England are now fully kitted out with spill kits that meet their needs. It is more cost-effective to order kits that contain everything you need rather than there being certain items that you’ll never use. And they don’t need to order additional items because they’re now included within the spill kits on site.
Due to the bulk order and volume of reorders expected, we have been able to agree a special price for 12 products that only users logged into this client’s account on the website will be able to see. The special prices deliver cost-savings to the client – vital when all purchases come out of limited budgets.
They are one of a small number of clients who have this setup. It creates time efficiencies for the client because they can give individual sites the autonomy to reorder items when required without orders having to go through central procurement every time.
The tamper tags also create time efficiencies as it’s quick and easy to see if a kit has been opened. If the tag is intact, no products will have been removed so no inventory is required. Tamper tags also act as a deterrent to prevent people removing items for improper use.
The maintenance spill kits that Darcy Spillcare has provided to our healthcare estates management company client mean they have the products they need at hand to clean up a spill quickly and safely.
