As health care workers struggle to obtain enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to combat the coronavirus, Steelworkers and employers keep answering the call to assist with donations.
Workers at Domtar paper mills in the United States and Canada are still rolling out products amidst the global outbreak, and many are also going the extra mile by donating time and equipment.
At the company’s Johnsonburg mill in Johnsonburg, PA, workers donated 27 powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) to Penn Highlands Healthcare, a regional hospital network. These respirators will be used by medical staff when working near patients with confirmed or suspected illnesses that can be spread through the air.
The devices look like a bicycle helmet with a clear plastic face shield, a computer-controlled fan, LED indicators and a filter. The fan at the top of the helmet, which runs by battery, pulls air in through a filter and is pushed down and out, giving the wearer a constant flow of clean air.
At Domtar’s Ashdown Mill, in Arkansas, employees partnered with the local Harvest Regional Food Bank to deliver food to the elderly. Volunteers from the mill unpacked roughly 3,500 pounds of food, which fed roughly 100 families, and delivered 21 boxes of food to senior citizens in the area who are unable to leave their homes due to COVID-19.
If you or your local have participated in the fight against the coronavirus, please send your stories and photos to Tamara Lefcowitz (tlefcowitz@usw.org) or Chelsey Engel (cengel@usw.org).