Despite the doom and gloom surrounding the UK economy on the back of COVID-19, there are many good news stories to emerge from the pandemic.

One of those stories relates to our organisation Tecman, after we adapted our manufacturing facility during a time of crisis to support the health and care sector, slowing the spread of infection thanks to our innovative PPE products.  

We take a look at the story of our pioneering business dedicated to protecting the UK’s healthcare and frontline workers, and addressing the discomfort caused by ill-fitting PPE.

Our story begins back in March, at the start of lockdown for the UK. Cases of COVID-19 were rising alarmingly, and the worldwide shortage of protective personal equipment (PPE) for healthcare and frontline workers had left the NHS at risk – and desperately in need of help.

Across the media, stories and images were emerging that demonstrated the effects of ill-fitting, uncomfortable protective equipment that NHS workers were being forced to endure simply to do their job each day.

Development of CE Certified Face Shield

Healthcare heroes fighting on the front line against COVID-19, while wearing Tecman Face Shields

With a reputation for innovation, our expertise in material selection and product design had already led to several ground-breaking developments. While the slowdown in the economy had affected 60% of business, the downturn presented us with an opportunity to support the healthcare sector, by helping with the PPE shortage and addressing comfort issues for wearers.

“Our skills and knowledge presented a huge opportunity to support our NHS and healthcare workers during a time of crisis,” says Kevin Porter, Tecman’s Technical Director.

“We got to work developing a disposable, CE-certified face shield, designed for high volume manufacture, which was the most effective way for Tecman to get vital PPE to the front line.”

This early result led to the establishment of a brand-new business – Tecman Advanced Healthcare Products – and  began donating to local NHS trusts, hospitals, care homes and other places of need.

Back in April, our innovative business invested in new premises that enabled the production of an incredible 1 million protective visors each week!

As well as including 10,000 square feet of storage, a dedicated automation system and state-of-the-art machinery, the investment also saw a recruitment of 90 new employees, at a time when other businesses were making cuts. 

A boost for British industry

Since then, Tecman have achieved the highest possible CE certification for our original face shield (EN 166:2001 category III complex design PPE level) and developed a brand-new product to protect those who are required to wear a peaked visor or baseball cap at work.

Tecman's Face Shield for Baseball Caps, designed to protect those who wear a peaked visor or baseball cap as part of their uniform.

Where many manufacturers would be satisfied in the face of this success, our team at Tecman continues to be driven by the desire to develop PPE that’s ever-more comfortable and protective for the wearer.

Technical Director, Kevin Porter, explains: “While we’re delighted with the success we’ve had so far, we’re now on a mission to become a global leader in the development of a new line of face and eye protection.

“We’ve assembled focus groups containing the people who are actually using our products so they can tell us about their comfort and protection needs – and we’re using this information to make continual improvements to our range of face and eye protection.”

That’s not just good news for workers in health and safety – it’s good news for British industry, too.

About Tecman

Tecman Advanced Healthcare Products is a leading UK manufacturer of face and eye protection. Founded in 2020, the company is part of the Tecman UK group, which has over 25 years’ experience of providing components and services to the healthcare, medical and life science sector.

Innovation is at the heart of Tecman’s approach. The company’s knowledge, skills and expertise in customer-centric product design have led to a new generation of face and eye protection that incorporates feedback from healthcare workers to address comfort and safety needs