Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky business of Pernod Ricard, has distributed thousands of litres of hand sanitiser to frontline healthcare workers, social care providers and charities across Scotland.
In just a week, over 7,500 litres of hand sanitiser have been donated to 166 organisations across the central belt of Scotland to help in the fight against Covid-19.
Contact-free deliveries have been made across West Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire and Ayrshire by Kilmalid employees using Chivas fleet vehicles, with more scheduled next week and beyond.
The sanitisier is produced at the Plymouth Gin distillery and by Chivas Brothers’ manufacturing partners, and packaged by the team at its site at Kilmalid, Dumbarton.
The company is also looking to expand its efforts by replicating this distribution model across its Scotch heartland of Speyside, with employees at its Miltonduff site commencing hand sanitiser deliveries to charities and organisations supporting the vulnerable from as early as next week.
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Liam Donegan, manufacturing director at Chivas Brothers, said: "It has never been more important to come together as a community, especially to help the most vulnerable and at-risk amongst us.
"I’m proud to see our teams working so hard to package and distribute essential hand sanitiser to those who need it most.
"We will continue to work closely with our partners to ensure we can keep providing for our communities during this difficult time.”
Chivas Brothers has committed to package and distribute up to 5,000 litres of hand sanitiser every week until at least the end of June.
Chivas Brothers is also supporting the national effort more widely, having donated 100,000 litres of pure alcohol earlier this month to manufacturing partners to create over 120,000 litres of hand sanitiser for frontline NHS staff battling the pandemic across the UK.
Technicians at the University of Edinburgh developed the shields – which take around 70 seconds to produce – to help meet unprecedented demand for protective gear during the pandemic.
The face shields for key workers fighting Covid-19 can be made more quickly than other guards thanks to laser-cutting technology.
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The guards have a full-face visor and adjustable headband, and are made from sheet plastic using an automated laser-cutting machine.
The university’s school of engineering had already been using 3D printing to make headbands for face shields, with students and research, technical and academic staff producing them in the School’s laboratories and their own homes.
The school has donated nearly 1200 shields made in this way – and has hundreds more ready to deliver – to local health and social care providers including hospitals, a hospice, a dental practice, and a housing association.
However, with 3D printer filament – plastic thread used to print 3D structures – becoming harder to source, and because it can take several minutes to print parts, the team developed a laser-cutting approach.
The new shields are much quicker to make and are also believed to be reusable, the team says, whereas 3D-printed ones are intended for single-use only.
Building on open-source designs available online, technicians developed an improved face shield and began work on production. More than 300 of their laser-cut shields have so far been donated, and further deliveries are expected in coming days.
The team is currently able to produce up to 1000 laser-cut shields per week and hopes to boost capacity by using other laser-cutters on campus.
Other departments are involved in producing face shields, and staff in the School of Engineering are collaborating with colleagues across the University on a range of Covid-19 related projects.
The initiatives are part of the University’s response to the pandemic, which includes multi-million pound research projects and voluntary support provided to the NHS by final-year medical and nursing students.
Dr Iain Morrison, GP partner at Newbattle Medical Practice, said: “The face shields received from the university are vital in protecting staff and in turn, securing vital services across Midlothian. For GPs, district nurses and care staff, the face shields offer security and confidence to conduct their duties. Many thanks for your exceptional generosity.”
Dr Katherine Dunn, who is coordinating Covid-19-related activities in the school of engineering, said: “We have already used 3D printing to make nearly 2000 headbands for face shields, but the new laser-cut design can be made more quickly, and is expected to be more reusable.”
Professional bodies involved in the construction industry have written to the Scottish Government urging a gradual reopening of non-essential building sites as soon as possible.
Groups representing chartered surveyors, architects and other professionals said the industry faces long-term damage unless action is taken quickly, warning a "state of paralysis" is setting in.
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Work on many construction sites, excluding hospitals or infrastructure projects, was brought to a halt when the coronavirus lockdown began.
The professional bodies have warned there could be a long-term skills shortage and damage to the economy.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Royal Incorporation of Architects Scotland (RIAS) and Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) have written a joint letter to housing minister Kevin Stewart MSP.
They said: "One of the biggest impacts of closed construction sites is that we are finding contractors and supply chains are now engaging in a comprehensive furlough of staff to the point that a state of paralysis is setting into the construction industry.
"Many projects are in jeopardy, even at pre-construction phase, because the supply chain cannot submit quotes and prices.
"Any delay in project planning and procurement will cause projects to be cancelled, and it could prolong the recovery."
The letter said the industry could police itself to enforce social distancing regulations on reopened sites.
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