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A device which makes it easier and quicker for people to fill sandbags is proving an essential piece of equipment for agencies across the world which need to respond quickly and inexpensively to flooding emergencies.
The SandHopper™ is particularly popular in the US, having received help from UK Trade & Investment in raising its profile across the country, and government agencies are now buying the equipment.
The SandHopper is a device which holds a sandbag open and in place using hooks around the mouth of the bag. It means that it takes just one person, instead of the usual two, to fill a sandbag, at a rate 60 to 70% faster than two people not using the device, saving crucial time in an emergency. It also makes it easier to fill the bags, as the SandHopper holds the bag above the ground, so the person doesn’t need to stoop to shovel in the sand.
The device is now used by local authorities, governments and other agencies tasked with responding to flooding across Britain, the US and in Europe. Local authorities in the UK are starting to buy them to help them to respond more quickly to flooding. It is also widely used by militaries in a range of European countries, including Britain, and the USA, who use the bags to create a defensive wall behind which to hide from enemy fire, and to pack over explosives when carrying out controlled explosions.
The SandHopper is the brainchild of Warminster company ProEarthDevelopments Ltd. Linda Beveridge of ProEarthDevelopments Ltd., said‘The recent interim UK government report into this summer’s floods has recommended that there should be national guidelines on the use of sandbags by local authorities, which is a positive step forward. Smaller villages and communities are sometimes isolated by floodwaters. Keeping one or two SandHoppers in store with sandbags and sand and plastic sheeting means immediate and rapid local response at little expense, and can significantly reduce floodwater damage when emergency services are unable to get through.’
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