Nissan Sunderland begins manufacturing aprons for NHS

Nissan is using its manufacturing expertise at its plant on Wearside to help make protective aprons for NHS workers.

A team of staff volunteers at the plant took just eight days to design and build a process on-site, to manufacture the plastic aprons.

It follows a request from the Royal College of Nursing, with help from Unite the union to UK manufacturers urging them to use their spare capacity to help meet the unprecedented demand for PPE.

Initially, 18,000 aprons will be made a week, but the team has plans to increase this to over 70,000 within weeks.

47,000 orders of aprons are already in place Credit: Nissan

Using technical specifications issued by the Government, the team have set up a manual process to make non-sterile grade aprons out of tear-resistant polythene. This is being carried out at the Gateshead College Skills Academy for Sustainable Manufacturing and Innovation, at the plant.

Production started this week and already the plant has 47,000 orders from local NHS trusts.

Nissan has also announced plans to deliver 100,000 face visors per week to the NHS Credit: PA

On Wednesday 22 April, Nissan also announced a new project, which will involve around 50 members of the team responsible for powertrains. Nissan said it has carried out "extensive" risk assessments as well as put in place many safety measures.

Last month, Nissan's Sunderland plant announced plans to deliver 100,000 face visors per week to NHS.

The Sunderland plant opened in 1986 and employs about 7,000 people.