Hartlepool man prints headbands for nurses fighting virus

Daniel Simpson has produced dozens of plastic headbands using a high-tech 3D printer while at home on lockdown.

They are to help prevent chafing caused by nurses wearing masks for long periods of time.

He has made more than 100 which have been delivered to staff at the University Hospital of Hartlepool, University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton and Middlesbrough’s James Cook Hospital.

Daniel was inspired to help by his partner who works as a nurse at Roseberry Park in Middlesbrough.

He borrowed his dad’s 3D printer and got to work.

Daniel, who manages an Age UK shop on the Teesbay Retail Park, said: “I saw people doing it so borrowed it off him to make some. When nurses have got the masks on they have to wear them for long periods of time and they rub against the back of their ears.

“The headbands sit on the back of the head and strap round the ears to hook masks on to.

“They are not that difficult to make, just time consuming. Each individual one takes about half an hour providing nothing goes wrong with the printing.”

Thirty of Daniel’s headbands are also set to be sent to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.

Daniel is the latest in a series of local people and businesses that have been making personal protective equipment (PPE) for our health workers.

Staff from English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College used a state-of-the-art laser cutter and specialist skills to produce 450 visors from materials left over from a previous school project.

One hundred have been donated to Hartlepool Borough Council for local care homes, while the rest were given to the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust.

Protective eyewear has also been donated to the council by High Tunstall College of Science, St Hild’s Church of England School and Hartlepool College of Further Education.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you