Amid the coronavirus crisis that’s sweeping the United States, BASF’s Coatings Division has answered the call for donations of personal protective equipment, or PPE. Two donations from different BASF sites will go to help hospitals and first responders who are stretched to the breaking point.
Cases of COVID-19 respiratory illness have been reported in all 50 states. That has decimated supplies of PPE as hospitals struggle to treat thousands of infectious patients.
The first BASF donation came after a request from one of the Coatings division’s largest customers. General Motors asked its suppliers to look for excess PPE that it could pool together and distribute to hospitals.
Acting on that request, BASF’s Southfield, Michigan, site found 12 containers of hand sanitizer, 50 sets of coveralls, about 2,000 pairs of gloves, and 30 pairs of safety glasses that were new in the box. With staffing in Southfield at the bare minimum level needed to sustain the business, the supplies could be donated.
“General Motors has always been a great business partner, and when they asked, we responded,” said Sean McKeon, BASF’s global key account manager for GM. “By pooling supplies from a lot of different sources, we hope to make a big difference.”
The second donation happened in Whitehouse, Ohio, where BASF maintains a research and training site. The Whitehouse Fire Department put out a request for PPE after its usual suppliers ran low and couldn’t fill orders. BASF responded with safety glasses, coveralls, gloves, and N95 masks.
“BASF has always fully supported first responders in our community,” said Paul Marshall, technical director for automotive refinish. “Now we’re doing our part so they have what they need to face the coronavirus crisis.”
