Responding to concerns about the lack of available personal protective equipment (PPE), Benchmark Displays have pioneered their own Rainbow Visor™ face shield alongside manufacturer Coveris and design partner OrsCol Creative. With capacity to produce up to 10 million visors a week, the visors are suitable for workplace and general use and do not impact the current government procurement strategy of PPE for the NHS and front-line workers, meaning they are easily accessible and do not compete with healthcare or other UK supply chain priorities. Developed by Benchmark in line with the EU product safety directives, visors are manufactured at Coveris’ packaging facility in St. Neots. Specialising in the manufacture of laminated filmic board products for the food-to-go industry, Coveris has dedicated several operational lines to produce the visors for various single-use applications. Providing everyday protection against COVID-19, the easy to assemble visors are printed with user instructions on the inside and supplied with a removable, self-adjusting elastic strap for added comfort and safety to protect the eyes, nose, mouth and prevent touching of the face. The lightweight, sustainably sourced board and barrier laminate structure also features integral anti-fog film properties for improved visibility. Jo Ormrod, Sales Director of Coveris’ Graphics, Labels & Board division said “as a business, we are extremely proud of the work we have been doing to support the fight against COVID-19. With our paper and plastic sites supplying millions of units of vital food and medical packaging each day, the manufacture of Rainbow Visors™ is a new step towards creating a safer, more protective environment for workers and the general public. Having rapidly adapted our production processes, trialled and now scaled up capacity to meet new technical demands, we have demonstrated our flexibility and expertise as a multi-format manufacturer, and we hope that this new use for packaging reinforces the value of plastic as a safe, protective and hygienic barrier solution.”
