UK-based medical device manufacturer
Our Accessibility Statement
Accessibility
Oxylitre Holdings Limited and its operating businesses
Key points
- We are working towards the WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility standard.
- The site follows standard keyboard conventions — no special shortcuts are needed.
- You can resize text and zoom the page using your browser’s own controls.
- If you have difficulty using any part of the site, please contact us and we will help.
These highlights are a summary only and are explained in full below.
Our commitment
Oxylitre Holdings Limited is committed to making its website accessible to as many people as possible, regardless of ability or the technology they use. We want everyone who visits the site to be able to find information about our medical gas equipment, request quotations and contact us with ease.
We are working towards full conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.2 at level AA, the internationally recognised standard for web accessibility. The site does not yet meet that standard in full. We are aware of a number of issues and are addressing them as part of an ongoing programme of improvements; this statement will be updated as that work progresses.
Accessibility is an ongoing effort rather than a one-off task, and we welcome feedback. If you encounter a barrier, or need information in a different format, please email quality@oxylitre.co.uk and we will do our best to help and to put the problem right.
Using the accessibility features on this site
You do not need any special software or shortcuts to use this website. It is built to work with the accessibility tools already provided by your web browser and operating system, which you can adjust to suit your needs.
Resizing text and zooming
To make everything on the page larger, use your browser’s zoom. On Windows, hold Ctrl and press + to zoom in, − to zoom out, and Ctrl with 0 to return to the default size. On a Mac, use the Cmd key with the same keys. On a phone or tablet, you can usually pinch to zoom or increase the text size in your device’s display settings. The site’s layout adjusts as you zoom, so content stays readable rather than running off the screen.
Navigating with a keyboard
The whole site can be used with a keyboard alone. Press Tab to move forward through links, buttons and form fields, and Shift with Tab to move back. Press Enter to follow a link or activate a button, and use Enter or the Space bar to open and close menus. Press Escape to close an open menu, the search results or a pop-up. Within the search box, the Up and Down arrow keys move through the suggestions. The item you are currently on is shown with a visible outline so you can always see where you are.
Using a screen reader or other assistive technology
The site uses standard web page structure and labelling so that it can be read by assistive technologies such as screen readers. If something does not read or behave as you expect, we would be grateful to hear about it at quality@oxylitre.co.uk so we can investigate.
Plain-language explanations of some of the accessibility terms used on this page and elsewhere on the web.
- Screen reader
- Software that reads the content of a screen aloud, or sends it to a refreshable braille display, so that people who are blind or have low vision can use a computer or phone. Common examples include JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver.
- Alt text (alternative text)
- A short written description attached to an image. If the image cannot be seen or fails to load, the alt text is read out or shown in its place, so the meaning of the image is not lost.
- Contrast ratio
- A measure of the difference in brightness between text and its background. A higher ratio makes text easier to read, particularly for people with low vision. WCAG sets minimum contrast ratios that pages should meet.
- Keyboard navigation
- Using a website with the keyboard alone, without a mouse. This matters for people with motor difficulties and for screen reader users, who typically navigate by keyboard.
- Focus indicator
- The visible outline or highlight that shows which item on the page — a link, button or field — is currently selected when navigating by keyboard.
- ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications)
- A set of extra labels that can be added to web page code to describe controls and content to assistive technologies, especially for interactive features that plain HTML cannot fully describe on its own.
- Landmark
- A signpost in a page’s structure — such as the main content area, navigation or footer — that lets assistive technology users jump straight to the part they want.
- Skip link
- A link, usually the first thing on a page, that lets keyboard users jump past the repeated menus straight to the main content.
Many abbreviations used across our product pages relate to medical gas equipment, standards and our product ranges rather than to accessibility. They are grouped and explained here for reference.
Medical gas, connectors & measurements
- NIST (Non-Interchangeable Screw Thread)
- A connector standard for medical gas hose assemblies, designed so that fittings for one gas cannot be connected to the supply for a different gas.
- DISS (Diameter Index Safety System)
- A standard for non-interchangeable threaded connections used on medical gas equipment, again to prevent the wrong gas being connected.
- SSV (Self-Sealing Valve)
- A valve that closes automatically when a connection is removed, preventing gas from escaping.
- SRV (Slow Release Valve)
- A valve that releases gas gradually in a controlled manner, rather than all at once.
- BS Probe (British Standard Probe)
- A probe made to the British Standard specification for connecting to medical gas outlets.
- DIN Probe
- A probe made to the German DIN standard for medical gas connections.
- AFNOR Probe
- A probe made to the French AFNOR standard for medical gas connections.
- BSP (British Standard Pipe)
- A family of standard thread types used for pipe and fitting connections.
- BSF (British Standard Fine)
- A British Standard thread with a fine pitch, used on some fittings.
- UNF (Unified National Fine)
- A standard fine-pitch screw thread used on some fittings and connectors.
- BODOK
- A Bodok seal — the sealing washer fitted between a regulator and a gas cylinder valve to ensure a gas-tight connection.
- O₂ (oxygen), N₂ (nitrogen), N₂O (nitrous oxide)
- Chemical symbols for the gases commonly supplied through medical gas equipment. Entonox® is a 50:50 mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide.
- LPM (litres per minute)
- The unit used to measure gas flow rate — how much gas is delivered each minute.
- mmHg (millimetres of mercury)
- The unit used to measure vacuum (suction) level on suction equipment.
- PPM (parts per million)
- A measure of concentration, for example of an impurity in a gas.
- MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
- A medical scanning technique that uses a strong magnetic field. Equipment may be labelled MRI safe (no known hazard in the scanner) or MRI conditional (safe only under specified conditions), which matters when equipment is used near a scanner.
Standards, approvals & regulators
- ISO (International Organization for Standardization)
- The body that publishes international standards; Oxylitre’s quality systems are certified to ISO 13485 and ISO 9001.
- EN (European Norm)
- A European standard, often published jointly as EN ISO.
- DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung)
- The German national standards body; DIN standards are widely used in Europe.
- AFNOR (Association Française de Normalisation)
- The French national standards body.
- CE (Conformité Européenne)
- A mark indicating a product meets the relevant European health, safety and environmental requirements.
- MDD (Medical Device Directive)
- The former European legislation governing medical devices.
- MDR (Medical Device Regulation)
- The current European Union regulation governing medical devices, which replaced the MDD.
- MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Devices Regulatory Agency)
- The UK regulator responsible for medicines and medical devices.
- WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment)
- Regulations covering the disposal and recycling of electrical and electronic products.
- PAT (Portable Appliance Testing)
- The routine safety testing of portable electrical equipment.
- IP (Ingress Protection)
- A rating for how well an enclosure resists dust and water — for example IP65. Higher numbers mean greater protection.
- OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer)
- Manufacturing products, or parts of products, that are sold under another company’s brand.
Electrical & power
- AC (Alternating Current) / DC (Direct Current)
- The two types of electrical supply; mains power is AC, while batteries supply DC.
- LED (Light-Emitting Diode)
- A long-life, low-power light source used for indicators and displays.
- NiMH (Nickel-Metal Hydride)
- A type of rechargeable battery used in some portable equipment.
Our product ranges & services
- SAF (Select-A-Flow)
- Oxylitre’s range of medical gas pipeline flowmeters.
- CSP Series
- Compact electrical suction pumps.
- PSP Series
- Portable battery-powered suction pumps.
- POD Series
- Portable oxygen demand units.
- PRU Series
- Our Entonox® demand valve range.
- ESS Series
- Our jar-based suction pump range (single-jar, twin-jar and theatre versions).
- AP / AP46 Series
- Automatic twin-cylinder changeover systems for uninterrupted gas supply.
- FMS (Fully Managed Service)
- Oxylitre’s complete servicing package for medical equipment.
- PPM (Planned Preventative Maintenance)
- Scheduled, routine servicing carried out to prevent faults — note the same letters are also used for ‘parts per million’ above, depending on context.
- OMS (Oxylitre Medical Services)
- An operating business of Oxylitre Holdings Limited.
- CVB (Charles V. Bell Limited)
- The company from which Oxylitre grew; part of our heritage in medical gas equipment.
Shipping & customs
- FOB (Free On Board)
- A shipping term defining the point at which responsibility for goods passes to the buyer.
- IPR / OPR (Inward / Outward Processing Relief)
- Customs schemes giving relief from duties on goods imported for processing and re-export, or re-imported after processing.
- NCTS (New Computerised Transit System)
- The electronic system for submitting customs transit declarations.
- EFTA (European Free Trade Association)
- An organisation promoting free trade between its member states.
- T1 / T2
- Customs transit documents used when moving goods that have not yet cleared customs.
Accessibility & web
- WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)
- The internationally recognised standard for making web content accessible, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Level AA is the level most organisations aim to meet.
- IFU (Instructions For Use)
- The official usage instructions supplied with a medical device, available in our Downloads section.
- EMS (Emergency Medical Services)
- Ambulance and pre-hospital care services; some of our equipment is designed specifically for EMS use.
- NHS (National Health Service)
- The United Kingdom’s publicly funded healthcare system.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are organised around four principles: web content should be Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust. These are often shortened to the initials POUR.
The four principles
What version 2.2 adds
WCAG 2.2 introduced several new success criteria, most of which focus on people with motor difficulties and cognitive differences:
- Focus appearance — the outline showing the keyboard focus must be clearly visible and large enough to notice.
- Dragging movements — anything operated by dragging must also be achievable with a simple tap or click, for people who cannot perform a drag.
- Target size (minimum) — buttons and links must be large enough, or spaced far enough apart, to be activated without accidentally hitting the wrong one.
- Consistent help — where help such as contact details is offered, it should appear in the same place across pages.
- Redundant entry — information you have already entered should not have to be entered again unnecessarily within the same process.
- Accessible authentication — logging in or verifying identity should not rely on a cognitive test such as remembering or transcribing a code, where a simpler method could be offered.