KITCHEN and bathroom companies in Hartford are to start manufacturing protective equipment for front line NHS staff tackling coronavirus.

This comes after news that NHS doctors and nurses are working without the correct equipment when treating COVID-19-positive patients due to national shortages.

Schools and businesses across the country are proposing to help by manufacturing the equipment to donate to hospital staff.

And that is exactly what Hartford firms Trade CNC and Weaver Dane will be doing, with the finished products being delivered by Moulton company Mann and Van.

The companies will turn their attention to manufacturing plastic face visors, but are facing challenges of material shortages and funding.

Justine Edwards, Trade CNC sales and marketing manager, said: “Paul Dodd, who owns the company, has an engineering and design background, and that is why he decided to start making the visors.

“He just wanted to help in the best way that he could, and as he couldn’t become a doctor overnight, this is the next best thing.

“A shortage of materials is starting to develop however, and we have set up a Just Giving page to raise money to buy the plastic.”

Northwich Guardian:

Paul Dodd wearing one of the visors

At the time of writing, the companies’ fundraising total stands at more than £800 – just short of the £1,000 target.

On the donation page, Paul, from Kingsmead, said: “COVID-19 is a worldwide pandemic and it’s currently clear that our NHS are desperate for vital front line supplies, particularly face shields.

“Whilst I can’t save the world, this is about giving time and the resource I have as a designer and manufacturer.

“These face shields will help to protect staff contracting the virus from infected patients.

“We have to state, as this is helping rather than trying to setup a business, the visors are not claiming to be ‘official or approved’, but users and managers have to use their own discretion where, when and if using them.

“We do know that NHS staff are cleaning disposable ones and many don’t even have them, so we are trying to supply these at speed and at very low cost.”

Any donations received will go towards buy materials for the face visors, which will then be lasercut and assembled using existing machinery and labour.

If you would like to donate, visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/covidfacevisors.