Mask makers ramping up production
WORKERS at a facial-mask plant in suburban Shanghai’s Songjiang District have been working nonstop for the past 11 days to make up for a shortage of masks caused by the coronavirus epidemic.
“Our factory staff were already on Spring Festival holiday leave, and the unexpected news of the pneumonia outbreak broke that status,” said Wu Shengrong, board chairman of Shanghai Dasheng Sanitation Products Company. “When I watched television and learned the news, I decided to restart the manufacturing line immediately.”
Wu said factory workers who remained in Shanghai over the holiday were called back, and worked day and night to fill the supply gap. However, of the factory’s 163 workers, 90 percent returned to their hometowns for Spring Festival.
“What could we do? Remaining drivers, cleaners and management staff all stand along the manufacturing line around the clock to produce as many masks as we can,” he said. “We have no other choice.”
As more workers return to Shanghai from their hometowns, daily manufacturing capacity has returned to 70,000 -80,000 masks from 30,000 to 40,000 just 11 days ago. Maximum daily capacity is 200,000 masks when all staffing is at full capacity, said Wu.
During the holiday, Wu worked through the night twice, and only slept three hours on two other nights.
Although employees were forced to work long shifts through the holiday, no one is complaining.
“I don’t take a rest because every second is precious,” said Wang Xiaoming, a worker living in Qingpu District. “It’s a duty to contribute to the prevention of the spread of the virus and my family members fully understand.”
Another worker, Auntie Wang, said she wanted to produce as many masks as possible.
“We should conquer difficulties and make an all-out effort in manufacturing,” the Songjiang District native said. “Nobody complains about extra work.”
“I rushed to the manufacturing line upon my arrival in
Shanghai,” said another worker surnamed Li, who returned to his hometown in Shangrao, Jiangxi Province before the holiday. He returned to Shanghai on the fourth day of the holiday. “I don’t want to waste time.” Wu said the factory plans to add another three manufacturing lines and will recruit 20 to 30 more workers.
Li Jia, head of the biomedicine industry department with the Shanghai Commission of Economy and Information, said mask production is catching up.
“The daily supply in Shanghai grew to 1.5 million on Thursday, up from 400,000 to 500,000 at the beginning of the holiday,” said Li.
The city has 17 facial mask manufacturing plants.