Over 40 Employees Lived at Their Factory for 28 Days to Make Material for PPE Amid COVID- 19

(Illustration - InkheartX/Shutterstock)

More than 40 workers at a Pennsylvania manufacturing facility have clocked out for the first time in a month after a live-in drive to produce a vital material needed for personal protective medical equipment.

They finally went home after their 28-day effort on April 19, 2020.

The diligent employees volunteered to eat, sleep, and live at the Braskem America plant in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, for 28 days in order to make polypropylene, a synthetic non-woven fiber. As reported by WPVI, this raw material is vital in the production of the N95 masks, medical gowns, and sanitary wipes needed by health care workers on the front lines for the battle against the CCP virus.

Employees at Braskem unanimously agreed to join the live-in production drive, forgoing family time for the sake of making a significant contribution to provisions for health care workers during these unprecedented times.

While the lives of U.S. citizens have changed dramatically in the wake of the rapidly spreading CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, the Braskem workers experienced relative stasis. Their lock-in scenario meant they did not have to wear a mask or observe social distancing regulations within the facility as none of the workers were going off-site.

Workers signed up for 12-hour rotational shifts. In addition, they were treated to occasional drive-by visits from friends and family, honking their horns, cheering out of vehicle windows, and brandishing hand-painted signs declaring their love and support.

(Illustration - Jonathan J. Castellon/Unsplash)

Braskem provided beds, groceries, kitchens, internet access, and iPads throughout the duration of the 28-day drive. Workers in Texas and West Virginia also mirrored the efforts of their teammates in Marcus Hook by holding production drives of their own.

Footage shared by KFOR depicted some of the Pennsylvania plant’s workers cheering triumphantly as they punched their final time clock on April 19. The plant’s operations shift supervisor, Joe Boyce, said that there had been “a glow” in workers’ eyes, adding that they would all be compensated for their efforts with a week off work and a pay rise.

In a news release dated April 16, Braskem America explained that they organized the live-in manufacturing teams, operating teams in isolation “to help ensure the health and safety of our team members who are working as an essential service throughout this crisis to keep these key supply lines running.”

Across the country, others have been making notable contributions toward PPE provision for front line health care workers. Many celebrities have stepped up to donate large sums of money or much-needed resources and in doing so have raised the profile of the cause nationwide.

As reported by Billboard, Billy Joel and his wife, Alexis, made the first of several donations toward the purchase of PPE on March 31. In the first instance, they donated $500,000.

Singer Halsey donated 100,000 FDA-certified face masks to four different Southern California-based hospitals, and John Mayer made a monetary donation to the Livingston HealthCare Foundation for the purchase of new ventilators.

The Braskem America employees’ hard work and sacrifice amount to another huge contribution toward the country’s ongoing battle against the CCP virus. “We’re truly honored to be able to give back and support people we will never meet in some way,” Boyce told WPVI.

“All the first responders, all the people on the front lines, we thank you,” he added. “That’s what makes our job easy to do.”