Against Covid: Avadi HVF accredited to test PPEs

CHENNAI: The  Heavy Vehicle Factory (HVF) Avadi has been granted accreditation by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) for conducting the ‘test for blood penetration resistance’ of Personal  Protection Equipment(PPE).

The basic principle of the test is to expose the fabric, used as a raw material to manufacture PPE, to synthetic blood at different pressure levels for specified periods. The test is essential to facilitate bulk manufacture of PPEs all over the country, according to a defence spokesperson.

Hitherto, this test was available only with SITRA, Coimbatore in the entire country. Similarly, Ordnance Factory Board’s Small Arms Factory (SAF) in Kanpur has also been granted accreditation by NABL  making it the first such facility in North India to manufacture PPE.