WILMINGTON, Del. — August 20, 2020 — As the COVID-19 pandemic expanded earlier this year, there was an overwhelming demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect the brave workers battling on the front lines. To meet the growing need for critical protection and supplies for PPE, DuPont launched the #TyvekTogether program to partner with additional converters to increase the supply of Tyvek® garments to the marketplace.
In parallel, Ansell launched the #NetworkofHeroes program, offering support to non-PPE manufacturers with the capacities and necessary equipment, to produce coveralls or gowns for use against infective agents, such as COVID-19. And as Ansell was working — like DuPont — to facilitate the manufacturing of PPE but also maximize its own production across its portfolio to meet the huge increase in demand, it was facing a shortage of material for their gown production.
The commitment to safety and responding to the needs for protection for the frontline workers came first and DuPont and Ansell aligned to work together to help increase the availability of isolation gowns for the COVID-19 response for the North America market.
“It’s vital we come together as an industry to help the front-line heroes get the PPE they need to stay protected,” said David Domnisch, global business leader, DuPont Personal Protection. “We had maximized our production of PPE through our existing converter network, and we believed that working with other companies to convert their PPE production to Tyvek would be the fastest way to protect more people. We began producing a new style of Tyvek fabric, Tyvek 1222A, to help support the needs for additional Tyvek PPE, but we needed additional partners with converting capacity.”
Rising to the challenge
Through this collaboration, Ansell will produce 600,000 isolation gowns made of Tyvek fabric. The gowns are supplied to front line workers via Henry Schein, a U.S. distributor to healthcare providers in the U.S.
“As a safety company, we are committed to protecting our communities and frontline workers,” said Paul Bryce, Ansell Chemical Solutions SBU vice president and general manager. “We knew we could not meet the soaring demand for PPE alone. So, we naturally decided to combine our respective know-how in the unique AlphaTec® gown with Tyvek fabric and protect North America frontline workers fighting COVID-19.”
Both DuPont and Ansell are committed to helping to protect those who protect others and we are proud to work together to make a difference and maximize the supply of PPE for the COVID-19 response. Ansell and DuPont have had a long-term relationship working together. DuPont supplies Ansell with DuPont™ Kevlar® fiber and engineered yarns for many products in their protective glove portfolio. DuPont also is a customer of Ansell’s as they supply cut resistant gloves for many of our DuPont facilities. We are proud to come together to solve a humanitarian challenge by combining our own unique capabilities and capacities in what is typically a competitive space.
Posted August 20, 2020
Source: DuPont
