Design and Technology teachers at Suffolk’s Royal Hospital School have joined the national effort to support the NHS staff by making protective face shields.
Beverly Maloney and her husband have been 3D printing elements of the shield from their home whilst Ollie Millington is laser cutting a different design using polypropylene sheets and PVC. They intend to make over 200 in the next couple of weeks and the first batch will be ready for distribution this Friday.
The shields will be distributed within the Ipswich area to GP’s surgeries, local pharmacies, care homes and community health care workers.
Beverly Maloney commented: “We know that the NHS simply does not have access to the levels of PPE they need so some people are delighted to have additional protection. Some NHS and keyworker staff have been sharing or reusing equipment so any help is appreciated, and our shields will be used in conjunction with paper masks. We shall carry on making them for as long as they are required. We have reiterated that these masks are not a replacement, nor medically tested but is something more than nothing in the interim.”
The pair have also worn PPE themselves whilst making them, sanitised each shield once finished before boxing it up and letting it stand for three days.