Niagara College donates 30,000 personal protective items to healthcare workers

Niagara College has donated more than 30,000 personal protective items to frontline healthcare workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hundreds of boxes of items were picked up from the Welland Campus Thursday for donation to the Niagara Health Foundation.

The boxes contained roughly 23,000 gloves, 3,130 masks, 3,760 protective garments including gowns, polypropylene suits, hair covers, shoe covers and caps, more than 330 cleaning supplies, and nearly 150 safety glasses and shields.

The items were collected from various program areas and departments across the College’s two campuses.

“We are extremely grateful to Niagara College for their support and generosity. This donation will provide our frontline workers with critical protective equipment to help them respond to COVID-19,” said Roger D. Ali, president and CEO of the Niagara Health Foundation in a news release. “These items will protect our healthcare professionals as they treat our friends, neighbours and loved ones.”

The college is also working to manufacture a supply of face shields that will be donated to Niagara hospitals.

The institute is producing roughly 200 per day at the college’s Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre to help Niagara Health address a pressing need for supplies.

Niagara College’s Research & Innovation Division recently developed a method of producing the face shields on campus by using computer design tools and laser-cutting technology – which proved to be quicker and more cost effective than 3D printing.

The college will be donating roughly 7,000 face shields at no cost to Niagara Health.

“Niagara College has always come together to respond to the needs of our community – and, during these unprecedented times, we are committed to leveraging our innovative spirit to provide support in any way we can,” said Niagara College president Sean Kennedy in a news release. “We’re incredibly grateful for the ongoing efforts of Niagara Health, and those who are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. They serve as role models for many of our students who are training to follow in their footsteps as the healthcare workers and first responders of tomorrow. They’re heroes to us all.”

The college’s Teaching Distillery in Niagara-on-the-Lake is also working to produce a 70 per cent alcohol disinfectant for Niagara Health to help address an urgent need for sanitizer.