A Christmas gift from The Lunch Bag
The Lunch Bag, which has announced that it is set to double its workforce in its Nenagh headquarters, has come up with a novel idea to improve safety in the 500 primary schools around Ireland that it supplies with children’s lunches.
The company’s Christmas present to those hundreds of schools could save the lives of children: each of its customer schools is been gifted with a medically certified anti-choking device.
Ger Killian, Managing Director of The Lunch Bag, which currently employs 250 and is set to double that figure to 500 at its headquarters in the Lisbunny Industrial Estate over the next two years, explained to this newspaper how the firm came up with such a novel present for its customer schools.
“We were looking at Christmas gift ideas for all our customers this year and asking ourselves was there something a little bit more progressive or innovative or useful we could do rather than just giving hampers and sweets,” Ms Killian revealed.
“We are always very conscious that the lunches we supply to children are substantial and nutritious, but in the back of your head you’re always worrying about kids choking on something.”
Ms Killian began to do some research on the issue and came upon a company called LifeVac Ireland, a firm which are experts in the manufacture of medically certified anti-choking devices.
The devices serve as an emergency intervention if somebody’s choking, comprising a little facemask that you place over the child’s mouth. A mini- suction device is employed to free any obstruction that could be potentially life-threatening. “LifeVac were delighted to come on board and we are now rolling out these anti-choking devices to all schools we supply as our gift to them this Christmas,” Ms Killian revealed.
DELIGHTED
Matt Banagan, LifeVac Europe Sales and Marketing Director, said he was delighted that The Lunch Bag had chosen his firm’s anti-choking device.
“The team at LifeVac Europe are thrilled by the generous donation The Lunch Bag are doing for schools across Ireland,” he said. “In combination with their school meals, this clearly shows The Lunch Bag’s commitment to not only keeping children nutritionally healthy, but also to keep children safer in a choking emergency when first aid fails or cannot be performed.
“LifeVac Europe have helped save 3,128 lives to date, of which 1,960 have been precious children.
“Our goal is to eradicate preventable choking related deaths and raise the current 70% effectiveness of first aid choking protocol to as close to 100% effective as possible,” said Mr Banagan.