University Working With Royal Surrey to Make Protective Equipment for Virus Battle

Published on: 2 Apr, 2020
Updated on: 2 Apr, 2020

Visors that Royal Surrey staff say work “incredibly well” produced at The University of Surrey

The University of Surrey is producing personal protective equipment (PPE) for the nearby Royal Surrey to help in the battle against Covid-19.

Last month, a team from the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences responded to a call to build 25 prototype visors and these were delivered to the hospital for testing and approval.

The visors, made using in-house 3D printers, have been working “incredibly well”, say staff at the Intensive Care Unit. Now up to 400 will now be produced and delivered each week.

The visors are produced on 3D printers.

The university’s School of Health Sciences had delivered six hospital beds normally used for teaching purposes to the Royal Surrey. Other PPE supplied included face masks, respirators, gowns, aprons, scrubs, gloves, visors and goggles.

And when the hospital’s onsite pharmacy was running low on crucial medical forms, Appleseed, the university’s printing outlet, has been helping with printing and delivering the much-needed forms.

The university’s alumni, academic partners and corporate supporters from all over the world have also been keen to bolster the Royal Surrey’s efforts, and staff from the university have been coordinating significant donations of PPE from this broader Surrey community. The first shipments are due this week.

Max Lu, vice-chancellor of the University of Surrey.

Professor Max Lu, university president and vice-chancellor, said: “All of us at the university, including academics, professional and technical services staff and student, are committed to doing everything we can to help the NHS and its frontline workers.

“I am very touched and impressed by the generosity, enthusiasm and effort shown by our entire community. This exemplifies Surrey’s ethos: to make a positive difference to people’s lives.”