Leonardo producing Personal Protective Equipment for medical staff fighting Covid-19

21 April 2020

Leonardo employees across the UK have answered the national call in response to the Covid-19 emergency, to manufacture Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to help protect NHS staff and critical workers in the communities surrounding the company's UK sites.

Using additive manufacturing and 3D printing capability, Leonardo employees – who were until recently manufacturing helicopters, electronics and avionics – have quickly turned their engineering skills to the production of protective face shields that can be used by those who are helping the country at our time of need.

Engineers at the company’s Basildon, Bristol, Edinburgh, Farnham, Luton and Yeovil sites have been producing visors for:

  • Bluebird Care Homes (Southend, Essex)
  • Edinburgh’s Harmeny Education Trust
  • Essex County Council PPE appeal
  • Frimley Park Hospital
  • Luton & Dunstable University Hospital
  • NHS Herts Community Trust
  • North & East Herts NHS Trust
  • Print for Victory (Bristol based additive manufacturing print consortium)
  • Yeovil District Hospital

Our Yeovil Helicopter facility is also working with Sulzer Mixpac UK Ltd to ensure the face shields are distributed to front-line workers at organisations including:

  • NHS South Central (Incident Coordination Centre Covid-19) NHS Southampton (Covid-19 Incident centre Bursledon)
  • Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care System
  • Portsmouth Primary Care alliance
  • Portsmouth East Shore NHS partnership
  • Royal Gwent Emergency Department
  • West Berks Council

Leonardo engineers are also producing face shields for colleagues working to support programmes defined by the Ministry of Defence as critical to the ongoing security of both our nation and our UK allies. Chairman and Managing Director of Leonardo in the UK, Norman Bone commented: “I couldn't be more proud of the ingenuity and determination of our engineers. Many of them have given up time with their families to do what they can to support our amazing NHS and key workers, including those at Leonardo, who are doing everything to keep the country safe.

“I am sure this dedication to the cause will go some way to ensuring our country gets back on its feet as soon as possible.”