Farnell, the Development Distributor, has introduced new inventory measures and online services to support the healthcare industry and meet record customer demand for personal protection and hygiene products during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Farnell is restocking a wide range of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and hygiene products every week to meet the needs of customers. The move is in response to a 125 percent increase in searches for PPE and other essential products on Farnell’s e-commerce site since an international public health emergency was declared on 30th January.
PPE and hygiene products maximise cleanliness, reduce the risk of bacteria build-up and can help protect people from carrying or transferring infectious bacteria. These beneficial products are highly sought-after for health and medical use, however demand soared after the general public took increased precautionary action to help prevent the spread of the virus.
A wide range of protective, hygiene, cleaning, test and measurement, and office products are available for fast delivery from Farnell, including:
- The non-contact IR200 InfraRed forehead thermometer from EXTECH Instruments: designed to quickly and safely detect elevated body temperature. Raised body temperature is a key symptom of the COVID-19 virus and while this IR thermometer is not a substitute for clinical temperature monitoring equipment, it is ideal for use at home or in the workplace for quick and safe measurements.
- Hand Sanitiser from AF International: one of the top selling products in Farnell’s range. Supplied in a 500ml pump-bottle, it contains vitamin E and more than 60 percent alcohol content. This cleaning gel is ideal for use at home or office workstations to reduce the risk of spreading bacteria.
- Safety First Aid Group’s HypaClean foam hand sanitiser: another of Farnell’s leading hygiene products, ideal for reducing skin irritation and effective against bacteria and viruses. The 500ml foam hand sanitiser pump bottle is alcohol free and suitable for use by people of all ages, including children. Independently proven to be effective against a wide range of microorganisms, the HypaClean hand gel sanitiser is also available in a travel-sized 50ml bottle for use on the go.
James McGregor, Global Head of Test and Tools at Farnell said: “Farnell remains open for business and offers a wide range of products to support customers seeking personal protective equipment and hygiene products which are critical in the fight against COVID-19. Our customers can rest assured that even though demand for these products is currently at an all-time high we remain committed to weekly restocking of inventory and delivering products to customers when they need them. Farnell is proud to work alongside its suppliers and partners in the healthcare industry to ensure output of PPE is maximised and delivered on time to where it is needed most in a time of global crisis.”
At this time, when global demand for facemasks and respirators is at unprecedented levels, it is more difficult to maintain stock of approved N95 respirators or equivalent as stock is incredibly limited. Farnell supports the decision of suppliers such as 3M to redirect their global inventory directly to the healthcare industry, ensuring that these essential items get to where they are most needed.
In addition to fast delivery and regular restocking of inventory, Farnell offers a range of online services to enable customers to back order essential items and register their interest to receive a notification when a specific product is back in stock. Customers also have free access to online data sheets, application notes and more.
The full range of products for PPE and hygiene needs are available from Farnell in EMEA.