Avery Dennison recently announced that it has entered into an agreement with Global Safety First, LLC (GSF) to produce and distribute a self-adhesive, NIOSH-certified N95 mask as part of the company’s efforts to provide innovative personal protective equipment (PPE) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The N95 mask is a standard of safety in the healthcare setting and vitally important to protecting healthcare workers and patients. GSF’s ReadiMask^® N95 face masks are reportedly made with electrostatic particle filtration properties that make them more breathable. They adhere gently to the face with double-coated, skin-friendly adhesive.

According to Avery Dennison, the ReadiMask can form an air-tight seal to provide maximum protection while allowing filtration during inhalation and exhalation. The mask is virtually weightless, convenient, and easy to use. The design eliminates tight straps or ties that put pressure on the face or get caught in hair. In addition, the ReadiMask has no uncomfortable metal nose clip that can cause skin bruising. The ReadiMask was designed with a low breathing resistance and may provide a cooler temperature than similar masks.

“Our partnership with Global Safety First allows us to bring some much needed safety and comfort to frontline healthcare workers who rely on N95 masks every day for protection,” said Kirsten Newquist, vice president and general manager of Avery Dennison Medical. “GSF’s unique design, along with our medical manufacturing capabilities and expertise in skin contact adhesives, is helping to bring mask innovation to the healthcare market at a time when it is sorely needed.”

“Healthcare providers will be required to use increased amounts of PPE for some time to come as a result of this pandemic, and it’s critical that industry responds quickly—not only with increased supply, but with products and equipment that make it easier for healthcare professionals to do their jobs,” said John Schwind, president of GSF. “We are pleased to partner with Avery Dennison to meet this need.”

Production of the self-adhesive masks will begin shortly at Avery Dennison’s facility in Mentor, Ohio, pending NIOSH approval; first shipments are anticipated in June. The facility is FDA registered and ISO 13485 and MDSAP compliant. The masks will be available for purchase by hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities, as well as group purchasing organizations and distributors nationwide exclusively through Avery Dennison Medical.

Learn more at www.averydennison.com and www.readimask.com. Organizations with a need for PPE are invited to visit https://medical.averydennison.com/en/home/covid19.html.