News and Events

To enhance public security, in 2010 the Government of Canada enacted the Restricted Components Regulations (“RCR”) regulation which govern the sale of ammonium nitrate having a nitrogen concentration between 28% and 34% (“AN”). These regulations are consistent with other regulatory measures pertaining to ammonium nitrate which have been adopted, or are being considered, in the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, and other countries.

The RCR attempts to prevent AN from being acquired for terrorist or criminal purposes as AN can, under certain circumstances, be used as an explosive. The RCR impose various security, inventory control, record keeping, and customer identification requirements upon each seller of AN.

AN is used by many entities as the active ingredient in Instant Cold Packs (“Cold Products”) for some time. While the amount of AN in these Cold Products is small, the company discontinued the use of AN in our Cold Products and instead use calcium ammonium nitrate (“CAN”) in place of AN.

The use of CAN continues to allow our company to provide Cold Products that meet established performance requirements for Instant Cold Packs while at the same time, not subject to the public security concerns associated with AN. Using CAN contributes to the security of the general public. We can also relieve our customers of the need to comply with the increasingly global regulatory requirements associated with the purchase and sale of AN.

Please note that should your company sell Ammonium Nitrate Instant Cold Packs from other suppliers that are a nitrogen concentration of between 28 to 34 percent, then your company will need to register as a seller of Ammonium Nitrate.

What you can do?

For your information, we have attached a link to the RCR which require sellers of AN in Canada to register with the Canadian Government and to implement various internal security and customer identification requirements: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2008-47/index.html.

While Rapid Aid solutions have enacted this change since 2010, if you have been working with manufacturers outside the US or carry older stock of products, you should check your stocks, update your sales literature and web site information and alert customers and resellers if you suspect them to use the AN.

If you need to replace this product with safer, compliance products, contact Rapid Aid for a custom quote on a cold product.

Tag: Personal Protection Equipment

Rapid Aid today announced full production of their new line of face shields to meet the needs of healthcare, government, retail personnel, and food preparation workers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Face shields, masks, and other forms of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) have been in exceptionally high demand since the outbreak grabbed global headlines. The new product solves the need for consistent access to cost-effective, high-quality face shields that meet regulatory requirements for safety.

Reporting in the April 29 Journal of the American Medical Association^[1], experts led by Dr. Eli Perencevich, of the university’s department of internal medicine, and the Iowa City VA Health Care System stated, “Most important, face shields appear to significantly reduce the amount of inhalation exposure to influenza virus, another droplet-spread respiratory virus (similar to Covid-19). In a simulation study, face shields were shown to reduce immediate viral exposure by 96% when worn by a simulated health care worker within 18 inches of a cough.” ¹⁰

The Rapid Aid face shield provides maximum protection for the wearer’s face while keeping vision unencumbered, even while wearing glasses. The lightweight and ergonomic design mean the wearer can stay comfortably protected for extended periods. The full-face product is constructed of lightweight PET plastic to prevent bacterial contamination. All units are protected on both sides from dust, static, and fog caused by moisture and meet the regulatory requirements of the FDA and Health Canada.

Each face shield comes fully assembled and individually wrapped. With this newly installed capacity, Rapid Aid can deliver up to 300,000 units per week as either bulk, palletized shipments, or separately packaged units and boxes. At this level of production and the company’s global distribution channels, the product can be produced and delivered cost-effectively anywhere in the world.

Jeff Whitely, President & CEO of Rapid Aid, states, “the overwhelming demand for face shields and other PPE far outweighs today’s stockpiles and manufacturing capabilities. In many cases, what is available today is not built with the quality or regulatory standards in mind to protect the wearer.” Whitely describes the product as “an effective deterrent in preventing wearers from not only transmitting infectious diseases but from touching their faces. Face shields serve as a constant reminder to maintain social distancing while allowing visibility of facial expressions and lip movements for speech perception.”

Rapid Aid face shields are available now and can be shipped in volumes of several hundred thousand. Private labeling options are also available in quantity. For pricing and availability, contact Rapid Aid today

1  https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2765525

Tag: Personal Protection Equipment