SUPPLY CHAIN
HOW INNOVATION HELPED DELIVER PPE AROUND THE GLOBE
Disruptions to global supplies of PPE caused many manufacturers to think outside the box . We look at three examples of PPE innovation
WRITTEN BY : LEILA HAWKINS
Family-owned Screenworks has been an established screenprinting and garment embroidery firm for decades , supplying up to 6.5m items per year to trade across Europe . As producers of T-shirts for music events , clothing for major sporting events and other forms of merchandise , their business took a massive hit when COVID-19 caused cancellations across the board .
By April Screenworks had to massively scale down operations , placing just under three quarters of its workforce on the British government ’ s furlough scheme . Facing this , Managing Director Duncan Gilmour decided they needed to refocus .
The company set about creating a new product that would support the ongoing fight against the pandemic . In June 2020 , Screenworks launched the UK ’ s first-tomarket antiviral facemasks and snoods through their new brand Bumpaa™ in partnership with global chemicals company Polygiene .
The items are manufactured using a technical fabric that is treated with an antiviral treatment – ViralOff , a technology
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