PIPES Kit
Polyethylene-based Improvised Protective Equipment under Scarcity
Spread of COVID-19 has resulted in a huge demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) for workers in essential services exposed to high-risk environments. As standard PPE kits become scarce, there is a need for low-cost and mass producible alternatives that provide protection for the entire body. A team of IIT Kanpur researchers and industry partners designed the PIPES Kit based on thin cylindrical rolls/pipes of polyethylene (polythene), which is non-porous and commonly used in the industry for packaging and making plastic-bags. The design and the production process of the PIPES Kit is open-source, so that a small/medium-scale factory anywhere can start making them in large quantities within a few days. Kits manufactured by some of our manufacturers have already passed safety tests. We expect manufacturers to be able to sell the kits at a price around Rs. 100.
Photo Gallery
HOW TO wear and REMOVE PIPES
Wearing (donning) the kit
Removing (doffing) the kit