Protective clothing is urgently needed due to the increased demand in the course of the corona pandemic. To counteract supply bottlenecks, SKYLOTEC has now converted parts of its production. Effective immediately, the globally active brand for fall protection systems, which is headquartered in Germany, is producing simple oronasal masks. These are designed to help prevent the spread of potential pathogens that are present in the exhaled air in the form of droplets, thus reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission. The family-owned company is also investigating the possibility of producing respiratory protection masks.
SKYLOTEC has converted parts of its production - and is now also manufacturing mouth-nose-masks on the existing sewing machines.
Whether protective suits, protective glasses or gloves: many PPE articles are out of stock in times of the Corona crisis and some have long delivery times. This also applies to masks. SKYLOTEC has now also reacted to this. The manufacturer of fall protection systems is converting its production and will manually manufacture simple surgical masks made of cotton at the company headquarters in Neuwied, Germany, using the existing machines. "We create solutions every day that make our customers' lives safer. In these special times, it is our social responsibility to use our skills where they are most needed," says Dr. Kai Rinklake, Managing Director of the family business.
In this way, SKYLOTEC wants to contribute to reducing the spread of the virus. For example, oronasal protectors can be worn by people who go out in public and do not know whether they are infectious. It can also be used by hospital or nursing staff who want to protect patients from their own respiratory emissions. It is used to protect others and helps to prevent the spread of liquid splashes in one's own exhaled air. A minimum distance of 1.50 metres should nevertheless be maintained. Furthermore, the mask is washable and therefore reusable. The oronasal masks will be produced at the German and Hungarian production sites. The oronasal masks will not be freely available for sale for the time being. "We offer them to health and district offices as support and would like to coordinate with the authorities where there is actually a need for masks," says Rinklake.
In addition, SKYLOTEC could soon start production of FFP2 standard respiratory protection masks. For such masks, instruction is required to ensure that the protective effect is achieved. They are used, for example, by hospital and nursing staff. Wearers can thus work with infected patients without infecting themselves. "As a manufacturer of protective equipment with more than 70 years of experience and corresponding systems for quality assurance in production, we can implement this in an uncomplicated manner," says Rinklake. An additional plus: With ultraMEDIC, the SKYLOTEC Group has a certified manufacturer of medical products that has the necessary know-how. However, the procurement of materials is becoming a challenge. The necessary raw materials are mainly produced in Asia. Therefore, SKYLOTEC is currently examining the use of alternative materials that also offer the best possible protection.