Sellafield and its owner, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), have pledged £200,000 to buy PPE for frontline NHS and social care staff.
According to the NDA, an estimated 5,000 gowns should be ready by the end of this week and will be distributed to NHS facilities across Cumbria.
A further 2,500 will be delivered each week over the next six weeks.
The donation is part of a targeted response by Sellafield, co-ordinated with local communities to ensure the areas of greatest need are identified and addressed.
As well as PPE, Sellafield has encouraged employees not identified as key workers to volunteer.
More than 250 people are now volunteering in their local communities.
‘We all know how vital it is to ensure healthcare workers have access to the right protective equipment to safeguard themselves, their patients, and their families,’ said Sellafield chief executive, Martin Chown.
‘Gowns were identified as being in particular short supply. Our knowledge of the PPE supply chain meant we could quickly establish a reliable route for high quality items via a national manufacturer and a local distributor.
‘I’d like to thank the NDA for its unwavering support which has allowed us to balance our contribution to the Covid-19 response with our nationally-important mission to keep the Sellafield site safe and secure,’ he added.
On top of the 20,000 gowns, Sellafield and its supply chain have donated:
- 1,562 disposable suits
- 187 disposable gown/lab coats
- 4,850 disposable FFP3 masks
- 102 reusable masks
- 3,500 pairs of gloves
- 164 pairs of safety glasses
- 10 full face visors
The chairman of Cumbria’s Local Resilience Forum, assistant chief constable Andrew Slattery, said: ‘It demonstrates how key agencies and employers are pulling together during this public health emergency to do their best for our communities and our brave NHS and social care staff.
‘Increasing the amount of PPE available will help keep frontline staff safe during the Covid-19 outbreak and help slow the spread of the virus.
‘Demand for PPE will not subside any time soon and any other organisations or businesses which are able to help in the manufacture of this equipment is also invited to support the national effort.’
Photo Credit – Matryx (Pixabay)