A chat with a mother leads to new face protection shields
“Hi Mother, how are you?” Sems a simple enough way to start a phone call. But it was a call that started a new supply of personal protective equipment (PPE). That mother, a healthcare worker, explained how shortages of PPE were impacting the lives of healthcare professionals around the world in the fight against the corona virus. Her son, an engineer working for a global plastic pipes manufacturer asked his colleagues if they could help. That led to the manufacturer swapping some of its production of pipes for the construction industry to make high-quality face protection shields for (healthcare) workers.
From April 2020, that company, Wavin, a global player in construction and infrastructure, will supply face protection shields from plastic normally used in the production of pipe systems and units for rainwater management. The company is keen to contribute to the global fight against the coronavirus.
Developed within three weeks
Speaking on behalf of Wavin Group, Inigo Gonzalez (European Key Account & Commercial Excellence Director) explained “The face shields have been developed in cooperation with healthcare professionals to ensure that our products meet the same standards. We recognize this is an urgent need, and thanks to everyone involved, the product was developed within just two weeks, without compromising on quality. And now, we are delighted to say we will make thousands of face shields available for businesses that need to protect workers such as dentists, physiotherapists, installation and maintenances workers, hairdressers, etc.”
Facial protection against Covid-19
People who work in close proximity of others, can pick up the virus from the vicinity tiny drops of saliva reach their faces. Face shields are transparent screens that cover the face and help prevent infectious droplets from getting into the eyes, nose and mouth.
A contribution to healthcare
Gert-Jan Maasdam, Global VP Market Strategy and Innovation at Wavin: “These masks can make a small contribution to the well-being of the people who are so important right now. Like many others, we feel rather powerless in the fight against corona. We are happy to be able to take responsibility and at least do something.”
He continued “We could not have produced this product so quickly without help so Wavin thanks all the closely involved partners for their commitment to make this important project possible. In particular, HAIDLMAIR, which helped to quickly develop and deliver the injection mould for the face shields, sheltered workshop Larcom and Valtech, Wavin’s digital partner.”
About Wavin
Wavin is an innovative provider of solutions for the construction and infrastructure industry on several continents. With more than 60 years of expertise, the company is able to meet some of the biggest challenges in the world: safe and efficient water supply, better sanitation and hygiene, climate-proof cities and improved construction performance.
At Wavin we focus on creating positive change in the world and our passion is to build healthy, sustainable environments. We work with city administrators, engineers, contractors and installers to make cities future-proof and buildings comfortable and energy efficient.
Wavin is part of Orbia, a community of companies with a common goal: to advance life around the world. Wavin has over 11,500 employees in more than 40 countries.
