The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has embarked on several initiatives to support local manufacturing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) since Covid-19 hit the country in March.
The main support given to local manufactures has been in the development of standards, testing of the PPEs and fast-tracked certification of the PPEs.
Among the local companies supported by KEBS in the manufacture of PPEs are Bedi investment, Eco Holding, Omega apparels, Ritz, Bosky Industries, Rivatex, Machakos Technical Institute for the Blind, and KICOTEC amongst others.
KEBS has been at the forefront in supporting the local manufactures producing PPEs and instant hand sanitizers by offering services such as providing guidelines to local manufacturers on the requirements for Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs).
KEBS has also regularly met with manufacturers in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to discuss the certification process and standards for the production of quality PPEs that assure the safety and protection of Kenyans in the fight against COVID-19.
The firm has also offered the local manufacturers free online access to over sixteen (16) technical standards to support manufacturing of PPEs including instant hand sanitizers, surgical face masks and reusable cloth masks
Others include single-use medical examination gloves, single-use sterile rubber surgical gloves, protective clothing used by health workers, health care aprons and overall clothing among others.
In line with its mandate of consumer protection, KEBS conducts import inspection and market surveillance activities to monitor and enforce compliance to standards for the products sold at various points of sale.
Permits of manufacturers whose products are found to be substandard are suspended and they are instructed to discontinue the manufacturing until such a time when they have instituted corrective measures which have to be verified by KEBS.
