Ones For Texas: Oilfield Company Switches To Making Protective Acrylic Boxes For Healthcare Workers
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - More companies are finding new and creative ways to help during the coronavirus crisis by switching what they manufacture.
But, how do oilfield workers help doctors and nurses? Ask Chris Payson with the Reach Wireline, an oilfield service company.
Instead of worrying about equipment for rigs, the Aledo company is now building acrylic boxes and sending them to healthcare workers.
"We have a close friend that... she's an anesthesiologist in Wise County and we had asked her ya know if there was anything we could do to help," Payson recalled. "To our surprise, she asked if we could build this box."
The see-through boxes, with two holes on the side, have a very specific purpose. "From what we understand they place it over their heads so that if the patient coughs or sneezes or anything... it's just an extra layer, a barrier of PPE [personal protective equipment]," Payson said adding, "These holes here are so the doctor can reach in and perform whatever procedure it is that they're doing."
So far Reach Wireline has produced more than 50 boxes and are currently building another 80.
While the company is building all the boxes for free, Payson said they get as big a reward as the health workers.
"It feels good to be able to help them, but more importantly I think ya know, just in our small part of the world here that we're helping make a difference. If these boxes, if all the effort we're going through just keeps a handful of doctors from getting this disease, so that they can help the next patient and then the next patient, then I think it's been a huge success."
In addition to making the acrylic boxes, Reach Wireline has also been delivering them to area hospitals.
