3M ‘investing millions to meet respirator demand’

3M, a technology firm based in the UK, plans to invest millions of pounds into one of its sites in order to meet the currently high demand for its maintenance-free respirators.

The firm is set to inject the funds into its operations at Aycliffe, County Durham, in order to meet demand for the machines from overseas governments and the Department of Health (DoH).

Amid the current swine flu pandemic, the machines will primarily be used to protect healthcare workers as they treat sufferers, and production at the manufacturing site has now been accelerated to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Jim Grigg, site manager for the firm, said: “This investment demonstrates the confidence our company has in our ability to continue to be a major global source of supply for respiratory protection.”

According to the latest figures from the DoH, a total of 36 people in the UK have died from swine flu so far.