Can fab shops help hospitals during the COVID-19 outbreak?

In the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, PPE supplies are running short at clinics and hospitals. Fabricators and manufacturers are stepping up to offer face shields, safety goggles, and masks. Getty Images

As a metal fabricator reminded me this morning, manufacturers have been deemed “essential,” according to the federal government. They aren’t going anywhere as long as they are still able to keep the lights on and the doors open.

More specifically, Department of Homeland Security has developed a list of essential “critical infrastructure workers” to help state and local communities.

As important as fabricators and manufacturers are to maintaining supply chains and supporting the infrastructure that allows that economic activity to take place, medical professionals are even more essential. They are on the frontlines of diagnosing, when they have the tests, and treating those with the COVID-19 virus.

With many people stuck at home and others glued to news sources trying to find out the latest on the pandemic, they already know that personal protective equipment (PPE) for these medical professionals is running short. The federal government has not used its full power to foster a quick manufacturing ramp-up of these goods, leaving the states scrambling to lean totally on the private marketplace to restock their PPE supplies.

Needless to say, that is a herculean task, and many hospitals are nearing critical shortages. That’s where metal fabricators can help out.

Large manufacturers in northern Illinois have stepped forward and offered face shields, safety goggles, and masks. They also said that they would reach back to their own suppliers to see if they can source more of the PPE for the hospitals. It seems like many of the larger welding supply companies, like Airgas, have already shifted certain supplies, such as N95 respiratory products, to the medical community.

Does your shop have additional PPE in storage or that is not likely to be used in the coming days because of the impending slowdown? If so, please reach out to heads of materials management or purchasing at your hospitals. You might also ask for the emergency response leader or head of the incident command team, if the hospital has established such a committee.

This type of outreach might be just the thing that helps a hospital bridge the gap until it receives the next large order of PPE on its loading dock. After all, metal fabricators are really good at just-in-time deliveries.