Man makes face masks from beer kegs for frontline Covid-19 workers in UK

A beer enthusiast has created personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline workers with plastic beer kage.

Bill Bremner a resident of east London, England managed to recycle plastic beer key kegs into PPE with DIY method after hearing about the national shortage of masks amid the coronavirus crisis, reports Independent.

"I had all these empty keykegs because I help run a beer festival for the campaign for real ale, and I took them home to see if I could find another use for them, rather than seeing them be desposed of" said Bremner.

"When I saw there was a desperate need for personal protective equipment for key workers I decided to make them into face masks." he added.

Bremner looked at pictures of PPE equipment on the internet and worked out how he could replicate it from recycled materials.

"One mask I saw was of someone working in a hospital – mine is very similar to theirs," said  Bremner.

"Those working in intensive care situations tend to have the fully plastic helmet type fixing, which you can flip up; those are much more substantial. These ones I've made are more suited to people doing home care visits and those working in nursing homes."

The masks are made from a 20-litre plastic beer keg, with one container providing eight masks for frontline workers.

Bremner has approached local hospitals care homes, chemists, and district nurses, and intends to supply them to anyone who needs them, for free.

"I hope to distribute them to people in vulnerable working conditions this week," said Bremner, who has, so far, made 100 masks.

His crafty approach comes after NHS staff issued pleas over PPE, with the government facing criticism for failing to secure vital equipment for those working on the frontlines in the fight against the deadly disease.