Face Coverings
As lockdown restrictions became more relaxed the need for face coverings dramatically increased.
We worked very closely with the procurement team at the hospital on the design of the face coverings, they are based on the designs of surgical masks used by clinicians. We offered three different designs to suit different face shapes and offered alternatives for individuals who aren’t able to place elastic behind their ear.
We are using Peltek which is a non-woven 100% polypropylene fabric. This fabric is breathable , water repellent and washable. It is ideal for use as the inner layer of face coverings, it can be used as a filter but does not have to be removed or changed each time you use the face covering.
The World Health Organisation recommends a triple layer face covering, with at least one layer of hydrophobic material.
DO NOT iron. DO NOT tumble dry.
We have been working closely with Dr Jiansheng Xiang, from the Department of Earth Science & Engineering at Imperial College London, who was awarded funding for a project investigating the effectiveness of face masks to reduce a person's risk of exposure to COVID-19.
As part of Dr Xiang’s research, out face coverings have been sent to the Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE). They are assessing the filtration efficiency of our face coverings compared to manufactured masks. Parametric assessments will build an understanding of pressure drops and breathing resistance across masks, mask saturation level (by measuring aerosol deposition features on surfaces), leakage effects on filtration efficiencies, and effective usage lifetime for particle droplets for diverse filters/scenarios.
We have patterns and instructions available to make your own, you can order filter fabric (click here). If you’re not able to make your own, some of our volunteers are now making face coverings to purchase.
