Working with Scottish Enterprise and the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, HES is using the facility’s state of the art 3D printing technology to produce the specialist protective visors, with the first batch of 50 masks this week delivered to Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for staff in its Maxillofacial department.

The Engine Shed will now produce upwards of 50 PPE masks a week for the NHS and various organisations to support frontline staff across the country.

HES is also working with the recently formed Emergency Conservators Network (ECN) which has been set up to facilitate conservation involvement in addressing PPE shortages throughout the UK.

The heritage body is also supporting its contractors in their efforts to combat COVID-19, including catering company Benugo whose baker at Edinburgh Castle, Red Walker, is making protective masks for the public, and cleaning contractor Mitie, whose Edinburgh Castle staff are taking part in voluntary ward cleaning at Edinburgh’s Sick Kids’ Hospital.

HES’s head of digital innovation, Al Rawlinson, who has overseen the production of the protective visor masks said: “We typically use our 3D printers to create models of our sites and collections for conservation, learning and interpretation purposes.

“The masks have been produced to meet the stringent specifications required for these specially adapted protective visors.”

Al added: “HES is doing a lot across our various teams and with our partners to support the wider, countrywide fight against coronavirus. It’s an absolute privilege to help NHS staff in this way, and we would like to extend our thanks to the QEUH team for all their fantastic work.”

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