Tag Archives: personal protective equipment

Plans have been unveiled for the re-opening of schools for children with special needs in Clare next Thursday much to the relief of local parents who have struggled to cope with the blanket school closure.   CLARE parents of children with special needs are hoping that Education Minister Normal Foley delivers on her promise of a phased re-opening of special schools next Thursday. In a letter sent to school principals on Friday, the Department of Education stated pupils in special schools will attend on alternate days, while pupils in specials classes in mainstream primary schools will attend every day. The department also outlined pupils with significant additional needs in mainstream classes in primary schools will have access to in-school teaching and learning. “All staff, including all teachers and special needs assistants, who work in special schools should return to work , other than in circumstances provided for by the occupational health scheme, or whose staff are on approved leave. Concern …

ABOUT 30 staff who are considered vulnerable workers are being reassigned to other duties in the UL Hospitals’ Group, it emerged this week. The reassignment was completed in compliance with the Return to Work Safely Protocol produced by the Health and Safety Authority, HSE and the Department of Health, and in accordance with human resources and occupational health guidance. In an overview of Covid-19 circulated for county councillors, UL Hospitals’ Group chief executive officer, Colette Cowan revealed local laboratory testing for Covid-19 at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) reached a new high of 280 tests in a single day recently. The group’s microbiology team and medical scientists have worked extremely hard to scale up testing and they are now at the limits of what can be achieved with existing equipment. The group are sourcing new test instruments that will allow it to further increase and enhance local testing capacity at UHL. Stocks of Personal Protective Equipment within the group are currently …

  A 50-day supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers throughout the country is being stored in a former East Clare chipboard factory, the Clare Champion has revealed. Deputy Michael McNamara has visited the site of the old Finsa Forest Products factory in Scariff where he has witnessed the storage of a huge amount of PPP in an upgraded warehouse facility. Acknowledging the HSE has a number of storage facilities for PPE, Deputy McNamara said the amount of PPE in Finsa is enough to supply the needs of the whole country for 50 days. In addition to security, the East Clare Deputy believes some employment was generated as a result of upgrading the warehouse, and there are also plans to substantially improve other existing buildings. “PPE is by its nature flammable. Manufacturing ceased on the Finsa site in December 2010. For a short period afterwards, a number of sales staff were retained on site before they were moved. …

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 …