London-based Survitec, a global safety and survival solutions leader which usually makes items for the marine, defence and aviation markets, has been selected by the UK Department for Health and Social Care to produce sterilised surgical isolation gowns for the NHS.
The Group’s Birkenhead factory, which has continued to operate during the Covid-19 crisis, supporting the UK’s aerospace and defence industries, has been expanded to include a dedicated site for the production of the PPE (personal protection equipment). The company will be hiring over 100 additional workers from the local area to support this critical work.
As an existing supplier of choice for the Government, Survitec already meets the high standards for such critical material production and will produce this new PPE to the high standards required by the NHS and other health services.
The company worked closely with the Government in order to move quickly through the regulatory and procurement process, enabling it to begin production upon receipt of the specialised raw material and to ramp up production of the gowns as soon as it is able.
Martin Whittaker, Survitec CEO of aerospace and defence, said: “In these unprecedented times, it is critical that UK firms steps up to support the NHS and other health services around the world. In doing so, we are also pleased that we can create a significant number of jobs in the North West to support the local economy.
“We are glad to be partnering with the Department of Health and Social Care, to produce critical PPE at a time when international demand, and the disruption of global supply chains, makes sourcing of these items very difficult.
“Survitec is incredibly proud to have been selected as a key partner for the NHS and thanks all of the dedicated frontline workers who are doing the important work of battling Covid-19.”
Ron Krisanda, Survitec executive chairman said: “As an organisation with a global footprint, we will also be looking at ways that we can support not only our local health service, but other national governments and health systems around the world, from our overseas production facilities.
“These are challenging times, but we know that through partnerships like the one, we will get through this together and emerge stronger.”