Canadian company turns from protecting people from gunfire with bullet-proof laminate to protecting health care workers and EMTs with face shields in fight against COVID-19
Wednesday April 8 2020
Company answers the Prime Minister’s call to action as Canadian manufacturers re-tool with made-in-Canada solutions
GATINEAU, Canada / PR Web / – Advanced Coatings Engineering (ACE), maker of the world’s first retrofit technology designed to protect windows from gunfire and bomb blasts, announces it has answered the Prime Minister’s call to action by adapting its materials and technology to make a light-weight face shield designed to protect health care workers, EMTs, technicians and law enforcement personnel in the national fight against COVID-19.
Said company CEO Peter Fabian, our Prime Minister issued a national call to action that challenged Canadian industry to be its best and to create made-in-Canada solutions. We’re proud to join this fight, adapting what we do every day, to now protecting our front-line health care workers and those who are working to keep us safe. We’re grateful we’re able to make a contribution.
According to the Ontario Health Care Coalition, 10% of COVID-19 cases in Ontario are healthcare workers[1]. Rationing of PPE equipment is taking place as the federal government issues a call for over 200 million medical masks according to Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand[2].
“From the initial information we saw coming out of Italy, between 10% and 20% of infection of healthcare workers was the result of facial contamination from saliva and fluids directly landing on unprotected nurses, doctors and EMTs. We realized masks were only part of the solution and that we could adapt our plastic substrate – normally used for bulletproofing – to create an effective, lightweight face shield. Further, they can be installed on any pair of prescription glasses or eyewear as a retrofit solution”, said Fabian.
The company’s capacity goal is 50,000-60,000 units a day and is in discussions with the federal government to supply 3 million units, with work being undertaken at its main plant in Gatineau, Quebec. Orders have already been received from the United States, North Africa and South America.
“We’re pleased that a Team Canada approach is being taken” says Fabian. “Our initial designs were presented to the Prime Minister’s senior Advisor, Ben Chin who said this is what the country needs. Our local Member of Parliament, Greg Fergus has been incredibly supportive facilitating our work with government. There is tremendous pent-up industrial capacity in Canada. We want to do our part by protecting local workers here in the Outaouais, the Capital Region and Canada, but our local talent can supply the world”.
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Media contact:
Gabriel (Michael) Draven
Advanced Coatings Engineering LLC
Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
613.237.0000 / 888.607.0000
info@USace.com
About the ACE ClearView Face Shield
The ACE ClearView Face Shield quickly attaches to any standard eyewear and is designed for the two most important standards for facial medical protective wear, ANSI Z87.1-2010 and the Blood-borne Pathogens Standard 1910.1-030.
Made of medical-grade polyethylene, perfectly optically clear, hydrophobic (will not fog), disposable or easily cleaned and sterilized for repeat use, the ACE ClearView Face Shield protects against airborne pathogens by forming a light-weight wrap-around barrier covering the eyes, nose and mouth of the wearer.
About Advanced Coatings Engineering
Advanced Coatings Engineering is the manufacturer of ACETM security laminates, widely recognized as the best window security laminates in the world. Founded in 1991, the company’s products protect secure facilities around the world.
ACE security laminates have been tested to and meet burglary, ballistic and bomb blast standards established by Underwriter Laboratory (UL-S332, UL-752), the National Institute of Justice (NIJ 0108.01), the European Committee for Standardization (EN 1063), and the General Services Administration (GSA).
For more information, visit usace.com and visit https://www.youtube.com/user/acetvnews
