Sign and Print Academy staff find a creative PPE solution for local care homes
19 May 2020
Two members of staff from Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC) have been using the laser cut technology available in the College’s Sign and Print Academy to create personal protective equipment (PPE) for workers in local care homes.
Andy Tipper, Teaching and Learning Technician and Bill Moorley, Course Leader for Art and Design/Product Design have been creating PVC and Polypropylene face shields using laser cutting machinery, producing up to 90 per day. It takes approximately 40 minutes to cut each sheet which produces 10 headbands. Then they have to be separated and cleaned before the PVC visor is hole-punched and assembled to the headband.
The College’s Sign and Print Academy in partnership with Hardy Signs links design with high specification printing and 3D rapid prototyping equipment. The Academy enhances the College’s graphics and creative curriculum and was launched to help fill the skills gap in the sign making and product design sector.
The face shields are being donated to local care homes to help them limit the spread of Covid-19. While the shields are not surgical visors, they provide much sought after PPE to staff in care homes with limited supplies.
The first five care homes to benefit from the donated face shields are Castle Court Care Home in Swadlincote, Oakland Village and Community Care Centre in Swadlincote, Far Fillimore Care Home in Burton, Charlotte James Care Home in Burton and Bladon House School Children's Home in Burton. The College has established links with all of the care homes it is donating PPE to as they all provide work placement and industry placement opportunities for health and social care students under normal circumstances when it is safe for them to do so.
Andy Tipper, Teaching and Learning Technician at Burton and South Derbyshire College said: “We’re delighted to be able to use our equipment and know-how to produce PPE equipment for care homes when they need it most. These are unprecedented times with high demand for face shields for all front line health and social care workers. We hope the visors we are donating will assist workers as they continue do such an important job, supporting and protecting some of the most vulnerable people in our society at the moment.”
Nicola Yeomans, Registered Care Home Manager at Far Fillimore Care Home said: “We would like to thank the staff at Burton and South Derbyshire College for thinking of us and providing essential protective wear that will help to keep our residents and care team safe.”
Local care homes looking to find out more about the face shields or providing future work placements for BSDC Health and Social Care students can contact BSDC at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..