Ford SA has repurposed its idle manufacturing plants to enable the production of 57 000 protective face shields for front-line medical and essential services personnel who are most at risk of contracting Covid-19.
"With South Africa on lockdown and our plants not operating at the moment, we felt that it was essential for us to use our manufacturing capacity and expertise to contribute to the efforts of the South African government, private healthcare institutions and humanitarian organisations to contain the spread of Covid-19, and to care for those infected with the virus," said Ockert Berry, VP operations FordSA.
The face shields, which protect the user's eyes, nose and mouth from the coronavirus, which is easily spread through coughing and sneezing, are being produced at Ford's Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria by employees who volunteered to make a difference during this global pandemic.
According to Berry the initiative complements the humanitarian efforts of Ford Motor Company in the US who have partnered with GE Healthcare to manufacture ventilators at its Michigan plants.
"The coronavirus pandemic is unprecedented, and is having a dramatic impact on the health of communities around the world while placing a massive strain on the medical resources of even the most advanced countries," said Berry.
Calling on the general public and businesses across South Africa to contribute to the project, Berry said Ford was also approaching its suppliers and business partners to ramp up production to a minimum of 500 000 units to meet the growing demand for these shields.
"We welcome any contributions from individuals and companies across South Africa to support this initiative, whether it's R10, R10 000 or R100 000, every bit counts," said Berry.
Trek Plastics has already begun supplying the medical-grade materials to Ford at a discounted rate, with a capacity for producing 15 000 kits per day.
Additionally, Corruseal Group has committed to supplying boxes at no cost for packaging the face shields, and Creative Graphics International has donated materials. Two of Ford's transport service providers, Trans-Atlantic Logistics and DSV, have agreed to waive the transport costs to help with distribution to hospitals, clinics and other locations countrywide.
The shields, which wrap around the user's face, are being produced to global health standards, using a clear polyethylene shield, polyurethane foam padding and an elastic latex fabric headband to keep it in place. Each unit is packaged with clear instructions on how to wear it correctly, along with cleaning and storage guidelines. They are designed to be reusable and sanitised after each use.
