Blood bag
To demonstrate how plastics, and specifically PVC or vinyl, saves lives, the SPI: the Plastics Industry Trade Association, and the Flexible Vinyl Alliance, will feature a special booth at NPE2015, in the lobby of the South Hall of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.
Among the showcased items will be an actual portable medical isolation containment unit similar to those used in Africa and elsewhere to isolate patients and protect medical personnel and the populace from the spread of infectious diseases and contain pandemics like Ebola and SARS. PPE or Personal Protective Equipment such as garments, masks and shoe covers will also be on display.
The goal of this endeavor is to demonstrate that plastics used in the manufacture of medical products are safe and necessary for appropriate patient care. SPI, sponsors of and contributors to the booth, expect it to generate positive international media coverage for vinyl and other sectors of the plastics industry and their benefits to the public.
This special booth at NPE is designed to show the world that 'Vinyl Saves Lives' and that it is the major plastic component used in the manufacture of portable medical isolation units, protective garments, floors and a host of other medical products in the fight against infectious diseases and potential global pandemics such as Ebola, ASAES and Lassa Fever, among others.
The booth will be supported by leading soft vinyl producers and manufacturers of specialised medical products and systems, as well as organisations using these materials in affected regions of Africa and elsewhere. The Flexible Vinyl Alliance, the SPI’s Flexible Vinyl Products Division, The Vinyl Institute (VI) and the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI), among others, will be represented in the booth. A wide range of other medical products and healthcare groups are expected to be part of the presentation.
The 'Vinyl Saves Lives' project is an initiative of the SPI, its members and allied groups and the booth is expected to be one of the main attractions of the show.
The Flexible Vinyl Alliance (FVA) is responsible for the planning and promotion of the project. FVA envisions the display of multiple critical health care items fashioned from flexible vinyl, inclusive of a suite of products that speak to patient safety, health care worker protection and positive patient outcomes. Experts will be on-hand to answer questions.
The plastics manufacturing industry accounts for more than $380 billion in annual shipments in domestic sales and employs about 900,000 people in 15,949 facilities across the US.
SPI President and CEO William R Carteaux said: "The plastics industry is ready to take a strong stand and demonstrate to the world that, indeed, vinyl is a great product that, among other things, is a dominant material used in hundreds and hundreds of medical and healthcare products and as a result, saves lives."
The plastics industry is the third-largest US manufacturing industry and a significant contributor to the domestic economy ($20 billion). The industry has an enviable record as an affordable, durable and sustainable material used safely for more than 50 years. The SPI delivers advocacy, market research, industry promotion and the fostering of business relationships and zero waste strategies.
Kevin D Ott, Executive Director of the FVA, said: "While some of the best-known, but often unrecognised uses of PVC include wire and cable jacketing, medical tubing, blood bags, roofing, flooring and wall coverings, the material is suitable for an almost limitless range of products offering superior and proven performance characteristics, particularly in health care settings, that are essential to patient safety and survival, as we deal with pandemic containment and protecting the general population.
"Lacking a vaccine for Ebola at this time, PVC plays an essential role as a 'barrier' material between the health care worker and the fluids that are known to spread the virus."
