Keter Adapts Production to Manufacture Face Shields for Coronavirus Frontline Workers

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Keter North America, Boca Raton, Fla., has begun production of high-quality, reusable face shields at its plants in Anderson, Ind. and Milton, Ont., Canada. Both facilities have the capacity to produce about 50,000 face shields a week. The shields will be donated to hundreds of long-term care facilities, hospitals and fire stations across the U.S. and Ontario to help address the urgent need for PPE to protect frontline workers who care for patients, especially seniors.

The project is being undertaken by Keter’s medical product division AP Medical. The Keter Group is a well-known global manufacturer of  plastic outdoor furniture and a range of leisure and storage products. AP Medical manufactures large medical waste containers for hospitals and seniors’ care facilities. Beyond its manufacturing facilities in Anderson and Milton, the company has plants in Belen, N.M., Stanley, N.C., and Portersville, Penn.

AP Medical, led a company-wide effort to develop a durable face shield which protects the entire face. The resulting design, which is also being manufactured at the company’s manufacturing plants in Europe and Israel, is reportedly comfortable to wear, protects the whole face and eyes and prevents caregivers from touching their face. The innovative face shield is also reusable, producing less waste than disposable shields and easing strain on long-term care facility supply chains.

The visor is injection molded PP, the shield is extruded PET sheet, and the adjustable headband is made of a non-latex rubber headband. According to David Foster, v.p. of marketing, Keter North America, the company is shipping these units with extra shields. Both visors and shields can be sanitized and the shield can be replaced with additional shields being provided as necessary.

A key driver behind the company’s decision to prioritize the production of face shields was the goal of keeping plant employees safe during the COVID-19 crisis by outfitting them with the very best PPE. The company also wanted to respond to widely held concern expressed by employees for the well-being of frontline healthcare workers. Keter employees at the company’s North American plants are now contacting local long-term care facilities, hospitals and emergency responders and facilitating face shield shipments. This work will continue until the need no longer exists.

Said Foster,“It has never been more important to support our local communities and the frontline workers who are sacrificing so much to protect patients in their care. Our management team wants to thank our employees for their compassion for care providers and their exceptional work in retooling our production lines in such a compressed time frame. Our people have worked relentlessly to make this happen.”