As COVID-19 continues to spread, we face a global shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
This equipment is vital to the medical staff and other key workers who are fighting the virus on the front line.
The COVID Safety Network was formed as a direct response to this crisis. A network of 3D makers, manufacturers and other contributors, it is our mission to make small-scale PPE production a viable solution. We work to help other people and groups organise effectively, amid a huge shutdown of infrastructure, communication and logistics. We coordinate, educate and share ideas, rapidly prototype and design equipment, provide materials and fill gaps in supply chains. We meet the need for PPE where it’s most critical.
Our co-founders Adam Winstanley and Hannah Wright have used their respective backgrounds in architecture, technology, logistics and creative enterprise to work alongside Michael O’Neil, MSc M.I.M.P.T of the Regional Maxillofacial and Plastic Surgery Technical Service for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, giving focus and direction to the maxillofacial department’s PPE production efforts and connecting them with other resources worldwide.
While reaching out to several international networks that have established a similar rapid and pragmatic approach to the fight against COVID-19, we have worked tirelessly to meet the need for basic protective products. By being open and undeterred by unexpected results, and adapting to situations that change on a daily basis, we continue to discover better ways to protect people and deliver the right products as quickly as possible.
Our current production focus is centred on the NHS Glasgow FaceShield visor. Adapted from the generic and more well-known face mask developed by Prusa Research, it was developed in conjunction with NHS Glasgow infection control teams allowing for a wider sheet of clear plastic to be used for greater facial protection.
We are looking for anyone with a 3D printer to help manufacture these visors.
By giving people the tools and support they need – with an open-source approach to sharing information – we believe we can make a significant positive impact on the fight against COVID-19 together. As architects, artists, designers and makers ourselves, we understand the power of coming together to transfer skills, share knowledge and create solutions. It’s a learning curve for everyone involved.
By engaging with schools and universities, we are able to further enhance our efforts – producing innovations like child-friendly PPE, and a guide on how to introduce PPE to neurodiverse individuals. We have working relationships with Kelvinside Academy, The University of Edinburgh and University of Glasgow, and have been in talks with Harvard University about implementing their Pneumask Project in the UK.
If you’re a medical worker or key worker in need of PPE, or you want to join our network and help to manufacture/distribute PPE, please contact hannah@covidsafety.com.
To help us produce the NHS Glasgow FaceShield visor, you can donate to the Scottish Appeal for PPE here.