Shiftec retools to manufacture COVID-19 safety equipment
Shiftec, a part of Liberty Engineering, has re-tooled machinery at its plant in Willenhall, West Midlands, to produce safety equipment for social distancing in vehicles, offices and industrial workplaces.
As lockdown measures are gradually eased across the United Kingdom, the group is playing its part in supporting the re-opening of businesses by producing ready-to-install office partitions, driver screens and floor markings to protect against COVID-19 infection.
Machinery in Willenhall that would normally be used to manufacture industrial ink trays and automotive components has been adjusted to manufacture products needed to re-start the economy safely post-pandemic.
Chris Baugh, Managing Director of Shiftec, Willenhall, said: “Thousands of businesses across Britain are grappling with the challenge of keeping employees safe while resuming their usual activities. We wanted to do our bit to back the national re-start by producing equipment that will help people to maintain social distancing – or to protect people where a two-metre gap isn’t possible.
“We’re pleased to have found a way to make these products at short notice – it helps keep our equipment running, and to get our own employees back to work.”
Products being made by Shiftec include a driver protection screen – essential for private hire vehicles or for commercial drivers who need a partition between themselves and passengers in the rear seat.
Temporary office partitions provide a transparent barrier between desks for office environments. Floor stencils make one-way routes evident through workplaces, and full face shields are being produced for workers in higher risk environments.
Shiftec, formerly Liberty Vehicle Technologies, is part of Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance – a global group of steel, aluminium, engineering and renewable energy businesses with more than 35,000 employees globally.
