Deakin sanitiser offers emergency service workers a helping hand

DEAKIN University scientists are making hand sanitiser to ensure Victoria’s emergency workers are adequately supplied during the coronavirus.

The university’s Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) in collaboration with HeiQ Australia has already produced hundreds of litres of hand sanitiser for the workers.

IFM materials scientist Associate Professor Alessandra Sutti said he is glad the university can help prevent emergency workers catching and spreading the virus.

“Hand sanitiser is the first line of defence in stopping the spread of COVID-19 and we are proud to be donating some to Victorian emergency services organisations.

“In times like these, hand sanitiser and its ingredients are precious and rare – people stockpile it, it becomes very expensive and our emergency services are at risk of being left without.”

Professor Sutti said staff at the university had been eager to help.

“It’s important that we make available whatever we can spare to ensure our frontline emergency responders aren’t left without and put at risk unnecessarily.

“The team at IFM dug into our stocks, and our pockets, to see what we could forego for the benefit of the community. The bonus is that we have the skills and means to formulate to the World Health Organisation’s specific criteria – so we were able to make the first batch quickly.”

HeiQ Australia has provided Deakin with the equipment and supplies needed for the scientists to make the sanitiser.

HeiQ Australia chief executive officer Doctor Murray Height said he was delighted to support Deakin.

“We are proud to assist Associate Professor Sutti’s efforts. As an industrial partner located on campus at Deakin, HeiQ Australia is ideally placed to support the efforts of the IFM team to help protect our emergency workers.”