Nottingham, England (March 15, 2011)—The massive 9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011, created an urgent need for oxygen cylinders, especially among patients who could no longer operate oxygen concentrator equipment due to widespread electrical power shortages.
To meet the increased demand from Japanese customers, Luxfer Gas Cylinders added more working hours at its Nottingham facility, which already had a full order book. Thousands of 2-litre cylinders were produced and shipped to Japan on an expedited schedule.
David Sparkes, Luxfer operations director, said: “We’re pleased to be able to satisfy customer needs, especially at such a difficult time.”
The undersea mega-thrust earthquake occurred in the western Pacific Ocean about 81 miles (130 kilometers) east of Sendai city and 232 miles (373 kilometers) from Tokyo on Honshu, Japan’s main island. The shaking lasted approximately six minutes. Extremely destructive quake-generated tsunami waves of up to 128 feet (38.9 meters) swept ships, boats, cars, buildings and many tons of debris up to six miles (10 kilometers) inland. Around 4.4 million households in northeastern Japan were left without electricity due to extensive infrastructural damage, especially to nuclear reactors at the large Tokyo Electric Power Company Fukushima Daiichi power plant complex. It was the most powerful known earthquake in Japan’s history and the fifth most powerful in the world since 1900.