- Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
Dressing for work has taken on a whole new meaning in the time of a global pandemic. Where it once would have been considered inappropriate to show up in public with your face covered, the opposite is now true especially for the Massachusetts’ essential workers striving to keep us going during the state of emergency. As more becomes known about Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the way it is spread, personal protective equipment, or PPE, such as face masks, gloves, gowns and coveralls have become critical components of work attire.
In what has become the new normal, all frontline workers from healthcare providers to grocery store clerks to postal carriers and others out in the field are suiting up daily with PPE. The extreme demand for PPE has caused supply chain shortages which have prompted innovative manufacturing solutions and unexpected collaborations to address an overwhelming need. Car companies (Ford, General Motors, Tesla), apparel manufacturers (L.L. Bean, Eddie Bauer, Ralph Lauren), and private tech firms (SpaceX, Voodoo Manufacturing) are among the businesses pivoting to produce PPE.
For those currently on the job, and those about to re-enter the workforce suiting up has never been so important. Procurement and distribution of PPE to front-line workers is a priority for the Baker-Polito Administration and its COVID-19 Response Command Center. To date, the Commonwealth has delivered over four million pieces of PPE statewide including over 2.3 million gloves, over 370,000 masks, almost 190,000 gowns and 380 ventilators.
Among the frontline workers to receive PPE, are the inspectors and other staff at the Division of Professional Licensure (DPL) where public safety is always of the utmost importance. Nearly a hundred building, engineering, elevator, and plumbing inspectors are in the field now to ensure that safety standards are met. DPL plumbing and building inspectors recently helped prep 100-bed emergency field hospitals at UMass Dartmouth and at UMass Lowell.
In these uncertain times so much is beyond our control, so it is important to control the things we can. Stay home to help curb the spread of Coronavirus. If you are an essential worker and must go to work, take the recommended precautions and adhere to PPE and other safety guidelines. And as the state begins to re-open for business do what you can to protect your health and safety including using PPE when you leave your home even if it’s just to go to the grocery store.
Below is a list of helpful resources on this topic:
