La Ciotat Shipyards have announced that as of yesterday they have started a collaboration with the companies ID Yachting (“L’Atelier d’Isabelle”) and Tilcara, both of whom have facilities within the yards, in order to produce protective face masks for non-medical personnel in accordance with AFNOR SPEC reference S76-001: 2020. Both companies specialise in the interior fit-out of superyachts and are highly experienced in working with fabrics and textiles.
The first delivery of raw materials was received yesterday and 300 masks will be available for distribution by the end of today Friday, April 3. Production is expected to increase over the days ahead and reach a consistent output of around 500 masks per day.
Isabelle Dimech and Thomas Ratier, the respective bosses of the two companies, are unanimous: «Given the great need, we will produce as many as possible for as long as we can get the raw materials».
The first masks will be given away for free to priority workers including police and public servants responsible for vital functions, in particular those working with the most vulnerable people in our society (senior citizens in particular). An additional number will also be kept for essential maintenance works on the LCS site.
Even though they are not approved for medical use and not covered by NF EN 14683 + AC: 2019 standard, compliance with AFNOR specifications gives wearers and those around them a good level of protection. However, La Ciotat Shipyards will be reminding wearers that their barrier masks do not exempt their users from implementing barrier gestures supplemented by the social distancing measures in order to minimise the risk of transmission.
Jean-Yves Saussol, CEO of LCS, underlines that; “La Ciotat shipyards are eager to contribute to the national effort by responding to the call for proposals launched by the government which encourages the local production of masks intended for non-sanitary and business use. In this difficult period, the fact that ID yachting and Tilcara immediately responded to the call and joined their efforts with ours is a sign of hope. I am deeply grateful for that.”