Rhode Island. 29 March 2020. Millions more of the respirators will be made in the United States and around the world.To address growing demand of masks during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, COVID-19, Honeywell is quickly ramping up production and making millions of the N95 masks in the United States.
We are expanding manufacturing operations in a factory in Smithfield, Rhode Island, which also produces UVEX safety glasses.
“We are honored to support the U.S. government’s efforts to protect Americans with personal protective equipment made right here in the United States,” said Darius Adamczyk, Honeywell chairman and chief executive officer. “Our Rhode Island facility already produces industry-leading safety gear and soon will play a critical role in supplying the Strategic National Stockpile with N95 masks.”
Those N95 face masks will be delivered to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for use to support health, safety and emergency response workers.
Honeywell expects the new mask production line in Smithfield will create at least 500 jobs. Recruiting, hiring and training manufacturing workers will begin immediately.
N95 masks provide respiratory protection and “reduce the wearer’s exposure to airborne particles, from small particle aerosols to large droplets,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “N95 respirators are tight-fitting respirators that filter out at least 95 percent of particles in the air, including large and small particles.”
We have also increased production of the masks around the world, as part of our efforts to respond to the coronavirus.
