Reath specialises in the safe reuse of everyday items. We found this niche after we set out to tackle single-use packaging; our journey has helped us understand many of the challenges surrounding reusability.
We have always believed we should eliminate unnecessary single-use items. That single-use frappucino cup? Yes. That excessive packaging? Yes. Medical-related safety equipment? No.
Why make medical equipment an exception? Because the expense and development of deploying reusable systems might have interfered with the mission of saving lives. Not to mention the complexity and high-stakes nature of the devices being reused.
The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has exposed the vulnerability of supply chains for this crucial equipment. In four terribly long weeks, we have seen packaging supplies dwindle, making it harder to distribute what had been readily available products such as hand sanitiser. Then it became clear that crucial PPE — face shields, masks, gowns — was in even shorter supply.
Last week in the UK, we heard the first murmurings that PPE may need to be reused. In the US, a company called Battelle has received Emergency Use Authorisation from the FDA to use their decontamination system, commissioned to sanitise up to 4.8 million N-95 masks per day.
As Battelle demonstrates, safe and responsible reuse demands more than just the sanitation method; it requires a traceable “chain of custody” from the person wearing the mask through to the person cleaning it. And then round again, until it is decommissioned.
At Reath, where we know a great deal about traceable, responsible reuse, we want to share what we have learned from working in this space. We hope this information proves helpful to anyone developing reusable PPE systems to protect protect frontline workers:
1. Start by giving a unique ID to every piece of PPE you plan to reuse
The first rule of responsible reuse is to track uniquely. This process isn’t as expensive as it might sound — you can track PPE uniquely via RFID, NFC and Digital Watermarking technology, by printing QR codes or barcodes using a printer and label paper, or even writing on the item with a pen. Of course, some methods are more efficient to scale up than others.
2. Figure out what data you need to collect to make the reuse process safe
As you create a “digital passport” for your piece of PPE, ask yourself, “What essential data needs to travel with it at all times?” The data will be a mixture of:
- Static data — information that will not change in the lifetime of the PPE (e.g., the material it is made from )
- Dynamic data — information that may change in the lifetime of the PPE (e.g., the status of the item; is it in-use or is cleaned and waiting to be used?)
- Calculated data — a number that is not input at the beginning of the process, but is calculated as the item is reused (e.g. the number of times it has been worn and washed).
We started an open, collaborative “digital passport” for reusable PPE here (external link)— if it proves helpful, please feel free to use it.
3. Track the equipment as it is used, returned, cleaned and redeployed
Just as travellers have their passport stamped at customs, the PPE will need its “passport” stamped regularly. Log when it arrives on-site, when it is worn, where it is worn, how long it is worn for, and where it is dropped off.
4. Then use that data to ensure safe use:
Cleaning requirements:
Not all PPE is made equally; if it is manufactured by different companies, with different materials used or used in different environments with different levels of exposure, it will likely have different cleaning requirements, or be able to withstand different levels of heat and chemicals.
Store this data in the PPE’s “passport”, so any frontline worker who is tasked with sanitising can have the correct instructions to hand.
Data for Safe Design:
If we only have data on how single-use PPE performs for a single-use, how do we know when it will reach its breaking point and fail, exposing the wearer? Right now, estimates for the reuse of N-95 masks vary between 3–20 uses. Which one is correct? Most products will have limited reusability; safety demands that we investigate the viable life-cycle of each product.
New designs appear every day that purport to be durable and reusable, like this face shield. Gathering data from day one means you can make more accurate, informed predictions about how many reuses a product can withstand.
Decentralise Quality Assurance
Everyone wearing PPE should be empowered to log their usage and do Quality Assurance checks — the person who has just worn a piece of PPE is best positioned to assess if it has another use left in it, or if it needs to be decommissioned. For our reuse systems (pre-COVID-19) on a manufacturing floor, we opted to use a mobile app. This enables workers to log their input quickly and easily, without requiring special equipment.
Management of PPE supplies:
By tracking all this data, you can get an at-a-glance view of your PPE inventories; how much PPE is in-use, cleaned and ready-to-be-used, waiting to be cleaned, and out of commission.
If reuse of PPE is absolutely necessary, we should track it through the reuse cycle, as if it were a precious “asset”. PPE may be worth very little in monetary terms, but the people it protects are priceless.
