Mainetti, traditionally a manufacturer and recycler of garment hangers and packaging solutions, will begin manufacturing protective face shields for frontline medical and care services at its Scottish plant in Jedburgh, the company announced.
The company is re-engineering the business in order to be able to produce PPE equipment for healthcare workers on an industrial scale.
Initially, the aim is to produce 8,000 protective face shields a day, with 1000 being donated to the plant’s local hospital, Borders General Hospital in Melrose.
Production can then be scaled up based on demand. While the initial focus will be on meeting the needs of healthcare providers, the face shields will also be available to non-medical businesses who are looking for equipment to protect their colleagues.
All face shields will be CE certified and produced to EN 166 standard – the specification required by the NHS.
Mainetti fortunately has the capabilities to adapt its operations to produce PPE equipment, said Nick Cranston, spokesperson for Mainetti UK and EU.
“We all have a role to play in the fight against COVID-19 and we are working to respond to the surge in demand and deliver these protective face shields to those who need them most.”
Orders for the face shields are being taken now for delivery at the beginning of next month (May).