Tag Archives: personal protective equipment

A SHANNON medical manufacturing company has provided an information night for schools with practical advice on Covid-19 safety measures for the return of students and staff at the end of August. To support the safe reopening of local primary schools, Zimmer Biomet Ireland hosted an information and discussion event for principals, featuring practical advice and safety resources in compliance with current Irish Government guidelines recently. Consistent with Zimmer Biomet’s focus on best practice sharing, 12 principals attended an overview slide presentation, delivered by staff, before touring the company’s Shannon manufacturing plant to see first-hand the comprehensive range of preventative measures in place. They were then briefed as to how these measures might be adapted and implemented within the school environment and provided with a Back to School COVID-19 Safety Pack, containing hand sanitiser dispensers, safety stickers, signage, gloves and disinfectant wipes. The daughter of a Zimmer Biomet employee, 11-year old, Sadhbh O’Donovan from Crusheen N.S. designed the child-friendly signage, which …

A BRIDGETOWN technology and engineering teacher put his skills to good use during the Covid-19 lockdown by making and distributing protective about 2,400 visors for frontline staff in health care facilities and hospitals. Tom English teaches in St Clements school in Limerick. Using a 3D printer from his home, he supplied vital Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) free of charge when it was in extremely short supply. The visor includes a strong plastic band with a shield that drops down to protect a person’s face. The main benefit of a visor is to prevent fluid transmission between people. “I had the machinery in school and before the schools closed down and took home three of my own 3D printers. “In the first week of April, I test printed five or six different designs to see what would be suitable. There were loads of different designs available on line. “It was more a case of curiosity more than anything else. By the …

SOURCING staff during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic became a real challenge, according to Mid-West Community Healthcare chief officer, Maria Bridgeman. In a wide-ranging presentation via Zoom for members of the HSE West Forum earlier this week, Ms Bridgeman outlined the huge volume of work undertaken by the HSE and partner agencies to combat the spread of the virus once the first case was confirmed on March 4. “We had to start from scratch and identify areas that would be suitable for isolation units. The turnaround for these were required quite quickly. These units had to be kitted out in line with infection control guidelines. “One significant piece of work was setting up the community testing and swabbing teams. This involved a lot of significant work, which was resource dependent,” she said. It involved a lot of staff setting up a new information technology system called swift queue. We had to get staff to upload all the names of …

A NEW lobby group hopes to distribute another batch of scrubs to a long term residential care facility later this week. Nursing homes in Clare have been the big winners of a new campaign to provide additional supplies of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) thanks to work co-ordinated by a new support group. The Mid-West Hospital Campaign group estimates that hundreds of cotton face masks have been made inside the last seven days by 37 sewers working voluntarily on behalf of this new lobby group. Clare PPE co-ordinator Hilary Tonge confirmed that nurses in St Senan’s Nursing Home in Kilrush received newly- made scrubs on Tuesday. She hopes that the group will have another large batch of scrubs ready to benefit another nursing home later this week. Three health care workers in Ennistymon received scrubs, face masks and hand sanitiser from the group on Tuesday. The group has collected more than €3,000 in financial donations to date and would welcome more …

A local lobby group has issued a public appeal for donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for nursing homes. Mid-West Hospital Campaign spokesperson Hilary Tonge said nursing homes in the county are struggling to obtain sufficient supplies of PPE. Members of the campaign came together to see the could assist in accessing equipment. “We spoke to groups in other areas who are helping us to source materials and designs to start making PPE,” she said. The group plans to compile a comprehensive list and approach companies and organisations who may be able to supply equipment and use their skills to make products. Campaign member, Marie McMahon from Ennistymon said it has become apparent that hand sanitiser and disposable gowns are in very short supply. Flor McCarthy of Athlunkard Nursing Home confirmed that testing of staff and patients has taken place in the Westbury care facility on Monday. Director of nursing in Ennis Road Care Facility Meelick, Arthur Stritch said he …

AN ARNACRUSHA-based specialist Covid-19 specialist decontamination and sanitisation company are planning to expand its operations over the coming weeks to cope with growing demand for their services. While a lot of companies are either closed or scaling back on operations during the Covid-19 health pandemic, Sterile Matters are on track to take on additional staff subject to training and access to more personal protective equipment (PPE). Having trained and secured certification for ten employees last February, the company was set up in March. Their employees wear full PPE including a protective face mask with respirators at the side, gown and gloves to ensure that there is no exposure to the decontaminant that is being used. Having seen the spread of the virus in China and later Europe, Ray McMahon said they looked at the best systems used in these countries for decontamination and sanitisation. “Some people are reactive rather than proactive in this country. People are saying we will undergo …