Establishing local manufacture of PPE for healthcare workers in the time of a global pandemic

Anastasia Nilasaroya; Alan Matthew Kop; Ryan Christopher Collier; Brendan Kennedy; Lachlan James Kelsey; Faz Pollard; Jennifer Fong Ha; David Anthony Morrison

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13349

Establishing local manufacture of PPE for healthcare workers in the time of a global pandemic

Heliyon. 2023 Feb;9(2):e13349. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13349. Epub 2023 Feb 13.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Implant Technology and Retrievals Analysis (CITRA), Department of Medical Engineering and Physics, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, 6000, Australia.
² BRITElab, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, Western Australia, 6009, Australia and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia.
³ Department of Electrical, Electronic & Computer Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, Western Australia, 6009, Australia.
⁴ Australian Research Council Centre for Personalised Therapeutics Technologies, Australia.
⁵ Vascular Engineering Laboratory, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia.
⁶ Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, Western Australia, 6009, Australia.
⁷ Adarsh Australia, 6 Crocker Drive, Malaga, Western Australia, 6090, Australia.
⁸ Department of Paediatrics Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, Perth Children's Hospital, 15 Hospital Avenue, Nedlands, Western Australia, 6009, Australia.
⁹ Murdoch ENT, Wexford Medical Centre, Suite 17-18, Level 1, 3 Barry Marshall Parade, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia.
¹⁰ Department of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Stirling Highway, Nedlands, Western Australia, 6009, Australia.

Abstract

A face shield is a secondary personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers (HCW). Worn with the appropriate face masks/respirators, it provides short term barrier protection against potentially infectious droplet particles. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused a spike in demand for PPE, leading to a shortage and risking the safety of HCW. Transport restrictions further challenged the existing PPE supply chain which has been reliant on overseas-based manufacturers. Despite the urgency in demand, PPE must be properly tested for functionality and quality. We describe the establishment of local face shields manufacture in Western Australia to ensure adequate PPE for HCW. Ten thousand face shields for general use (standard) and for ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist use were produced. Materials and design considerations are described, and the face shields were vigorously tested to the relevant Standards to ensure their effectiveness as a protective barrier, including splash and impact resistance. Comparative testing with traditional and other novel face shields was also undertaken. Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) licence was obtained to manufacture and supply the face shields as a Class I medical device. The swiftness of process is a credit to collaboration from industry, academia and healthcare.

Keywords: AS/NZS, Australian/New Zealand Standard; COVID-19; COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; ENT, ear, nose and throat; HCW, healthcare workers; ISO, International Organization for Standardization; Manufacturing; Medical device; PETG, polyethylene terephthalate glycol; PPE, personal protective equipment; Quality control; TGA, Therapeutic Goods Administration.