Delivering safety to the frontline

Like the majority of nations across the globe, Sweden is working hard to treat its people and prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. The capital of Stockholm has more than tripled its intensive care capacity by opening a field hospital at the Älvsjöconvention complex and is calling on those with medical training to help care for the sick.

Sandvik Coromant's Västberga production site has been collecting PPE that it is does not currently require, including sought after equipment such as gloves, protective clothing and face masks. The site plans to donate this PPE to Sweden's healthcare system, along with 3D printed face shields, which the company has been manufacturing at its Additive Manufacturing Centers.

Sandvik Coromant has already donated 2,000 face masks to a hospital in Gävle, Sweden's thirteenth most populated city. In Gimo, home to Sandvik Coromant's advanced lighthouse production facility, safety and hygiene equipment including alcogel, gloves and glasses has been donated to the local community in Östhammar to help care for the elderly. As well as these essential donations in its home country, Sandvik Coromant also provided 1,998 protective suits to Wuhan Tongji hospital in Wuhan, the original epicenter of the virus, and also distributed 1,000 personal protection kits for the medical staff of Sassoon Hospital, an isolation center for COVID-19 patients in Pune, India.

In the US, when Wally Calayag, a Sandvik Coromant Sales Territory Engineer in California, saw the pain that surgical masks were causing medical professionals at a nearby hospital where his wife works as a nurse, he had an idea. Armed with a 3D printer and open source files, he started printing surgical mask extension straps, otherwise known as ear savers straps. And it wasn't long before he was making deliveries of these straps to the hospital to help those on the front lines, and in doing so, encouraging others to join the cause.

“We're extremely proud to be donating our equipment to those in need," explains Pär Grönhagen, environmental, health and safety manager at the Västberga site. “One of the best things about working for Sandvik Coromant is the pride the company takes in looking after its people, so coming together to deliver safety equipment during this turbulent time is a true reflection of our company values.

“PPE equipment is in extremely short supply, but is vital to ensure those delivering healthcare can continue to do so safely. 'Safety first' is embedded in one of our core values and is integrated into everything we do, so helping to deliver this crucial requirement to support the fight against COVID-19 is very important to us.

Sandvik Coromant will be continuing to collect PPE for healthcare facilities across Sweden, in addition to using its technical knowledge and machinery to help ensure there is enough supply to meet the country's urgent demand.

To find out more about Sandvik Coromant, visit the website.