Scarborough College teacher creates innovative face mask to help NHS

Scarborough College teacher Emma Speake has created a simple face mask to help protect front-facing NHS workers from the coronavirus.

Miss Speake, who is Head of Design Technology (DT) at the college, got the idea following a discussion in a DT teachers group on Facebook.

A doctor’s surgery had issued a cry for help online for someone to design protective masks and the DT teachers were quick to rise to the challenge.

After looking at the designs created by her peers, Miss Speake decided to have a go herself.

Emma Speake delivery masks to West Ayton surgery | other

Initially she started with a 3D printed design, but after it took four hours to make just one headband, she looked around her workshop for other options.

She quickly settled on a simple, inexpensive, headband created from High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) secured to an acetate sheet using cable ties.

She shared her idea with friends, and one, a member of the West Ayton surgery team, said: ”We could do with some of those.” After enquiring how many, Miss Speake was surprised to discover they had 30 front-facing staff.

She sprang into production and in just two-and-a-half hours, she had created the masks required.

The masks were delivered to West Ayton surgery yesterday, and she has since received an order for another 50 from Scarborough Hospital which she hopes to deliver on Friday.

Miss Speake said she was happy to be able to do something to help: “I just wanted to do something if I could. It’s not about me.”

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