Sioen products save lives during COVID-19 pandemic
Sioen produces a myriad of products protecting against COVID-19
Technical textiles make the difference today. Obvious things such as mouth masks, which is a hot topic at the moment, but there is so much more. Technical textiles for decontamination units, quarantine curtains, triage tents, mattress protectors, medical intervention clothing, aprons, ... Technical textiles protect and save lives, now more than ever.
Filters for mouth masks and face shields
When asking someone to think of products that are linked to the corona virus, most people immediately think of mouth masks and face shields, as they are clearly visible and commonly used. Sioen Technical Felts has produced and delivered filters for mouth masks for both the Belgian Federal Government and for Pharma Belgium – Belmedis, which distributes the product to pharmacies all over Belgium. The face shields , on the other hand, are produced by Dimension-Polyant, world leading sailcloth producer that is part of the Sioen Group. Over 300 000 units have been produced and delivered to the medical community on the frontline.
Sioen, Supplier of hospitals
Next to the filters for mouth masks and face shields, Sioen also delivered other products that help safety workers fight the pandemic safely. First, Dimension-Polyant also produced films and laminates that are perfect for the production of partitions, used in e.g. containment zones. Further, you might have noticed how nurses and doctors are now wearing different garments than before. They now prefer coveralls and gowns that protect them against COVID-19 and that are suitable for medical use. Luckily, our Flexothane Kleen range provides the right protection and can be washed at 95°C. Third, as a major producer of technical textiles, we have been delivering dedicated fabrics for mattress covers and aprons. Finally, Coatex, one of our Belgian plants assembles Inflatable Prone Ventilation (IPV) pillows for use in intensive care units. Even though it wasn’t especially made for COVID-19 patients, it can be used for patients who have to be ventilated on the abdomen.
Quickly building emergency spaces
The previous products are quite obvious, but Sioen also delivers products for applications that might not come to mind in an instant or might even seem hidden for the naked eye. Sioen, for example, supplies technical textiles for different types of decontamination and triage tents. They are highly qualitative, as they are regularly exposed to disinfections and are moved many times. Additionally, they have to withstand all types of weather conditions. Finally, emergency hospitals were built more quickly and more easily by using Sioen geotextiles. To build (temporary) roads and buildings, the ground has to be reinforced and waterproofed quickly. To do so, geosynthetics, such as non-wovens and foil are used.