In early April, the NAPCO Pipe & Fittings PVC fabricated fittings facility in Woodbridge, Ontario answered the call to produce hard-to-find face shields needed as personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical staff on the front lines of COVID-19 treatment.   The team, led by Bharat Patel, facilities maintenance supervisor, researched and developed a design for PPE shields the facility could quickly produce.  Trial production began on April 7, and a prototype was ready to share with frontline medical personnel two days later.  Dr. Oswaldo Ramirez, president of medical staff and staff emergency room physician at Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston, Ontario, used the face shield prototype during his 12-hour shift over the busy Easter holiday weekend.  The doctor reported the shield worked perfectly.  With that nod, the NAPCO fabrication staff began assembling 100 face shields that were packed and ready for pick-up by Dr. Ramirez on April 17--just over one week from design to delivery. 

Sources have reported medical personnel are wearing face shields in tandem with face masks when treating patients to help protect against small moisture droplets from coughs and sneezes that can transmit coronavirus.  The face shield design has a Velcro strap that allows for flexibility in sizing, a much needed feature for PPE.

A total of 250 face shields will be produced by the NAPCO facility with a portion also donated to hospitals and assisted care facilities in the nearby Detroit, Michigan area.