Coronavirus MINT STAFF TO MAKE 4,000 VISORS A DAY
THE Royal Mint is to manufacture up to 4,000 medical visors per day to help protect NHS staff from coronavirus. Engineers developed a successful prototype in 48 hours and the first visors are already in use at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital.
Since news of the visor production emerged, the Royal Mint has received requests to supply hospitals across the UK.
Production is now moving to 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the Royal Mint’s site in Llantrisant.
A total of 750 visors were made yesterday and the team is aiming to increase this to 4,000 per day from Tuesday.
A spokeswoman for the Royal Mint said: “We have received requests from NHS trusts and hospitals across the country. We have increased production as a result to help as many as possible.”
She said engineers at the site, used to working on coins and related machinery, created the first design within seven hours.
The Royal Mint worked with its supply chain in the UK to source the materials so final prototypes could be made for the NHS to review.
Approval came within 48 hours of the company beginning work on the visors.
“We are already a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturer so a lot of the techniques could be easily transferred,” the spokeswoman said.
“We use anti-static washing to ensure coins are in ‘mint condition’. This same technology ensures the visors are free of debris.
“Our experience in FMCG means we could also set up a production line with assembly, packaging, quality checking and dispatching within a few hours.”
Companies including Brammer, TJ Morgan and Technical Foam Services have worked with the Royal
Mint to needed.
Huw Davies, clinical director for anaesthetics at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, said staff were “really grateful” for the visors.
“It was actually quite emotional for our teams when they came in and offered their support and expertise to us to help keep us safe,” he said.
“It is a great example of collaboration and a real goodwill gesture from their team.”
Dr Sharon Hopkins, the chief executive of Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, also thanked the Royal Mint for their contribution.
“This equipment will be vitally important for our frontline staff to protect themselves and others as they work to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.
The Royal Mint is appealing for manufacturers across the UK to help source 1mm clear plastic, which is currently in low supply.
Anyone who can help should contact visors@royalmint.com source the components