The capacity and production of PPE Coveralls for COVID-19 touched a peak of 5 lakh per day in mid May 2020. From zero manufacturers in March 2020, 1100 indigenous manufacturers of PPE kits have been developed by the Government till date, most of them being from MSME sector. Since the country had sufficient raw materials and production capacity of PPE Coveralls to meet the domestic demand, textile industry sought permission to export surplus PPE suits. After considering demand from the industry, the ban on export was lifted by the Government vide its Notification dated 25.8.2020 issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). As on 13.9.2020, a total of 1.42 crore PPE kits have been supplied to M/s HLL Lifecare Ltd. - the procurement arm of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare(MoHFW) for use of health professionals in government hospitals. The manufacturers supplying PPE Coveralls to MoHFW were from all textiles clusters spread across the country which included Bengaluru, Tirupur, Surat, Ahmedabad, Ludhiana, etc. Apart from supply to MoHFW more than 1 crore PPE Coveralls have been supplied by indigenous manufacturers to State Governments and private hospitals.
In order to streamline supply chain, remove bottlenecks and maintain a steady supply of PPEs in the country, a centralized Emergency Control Room was established in the Ministry working round the clock with the 200 Nodal Officers appointed across the value chain to monitor/ facilitate from supply of raw material to the units, testing and certification, to delivery of final product to its destination during lockdown period. The supply-demand scenario is also closely monitored by the Government during the COVID-19.
The details of 11 Laboratories developed for testing of PPE Coveralls required for protection from COVID-19 is at Annexure-I.
The procedure for issue of Unique Certification Code for each passed prototype sample of the PPE Coveralls has been issued by the Government vide letter dated 6.4.2020 (Annexure-II). Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has issued the Indian Standards IS: 9473 for N-95/ FFP2 masks in June 2020. The procedure of testing and certification by the approved Laboratories of Ministry of Textiles has now been migrated to Bureau of Indian Standard licensing.
This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Textiles, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani in Lok Sabha today.
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APS/SG/RC
Annexure-I
F.No.8/4/2020-R&D
Government of India
Ministry of Textiles
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Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi
Dated 16th July, 2020
O R D E R
Subject: List of Laboratories equipped to conduct testing and certification of Synthetic Blood Penetration Resistance Test required for Body-Coveralls for COVID-19- reg.
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In continuation of this Ministry’s letter of even number dated 8.6.2020, it is informed that following laboratories/ establishments are equipped to conduct testing and certification of Synthetic Blood Penetration Resistance Test required for Body-Coveralls for COVID-19 :--
South India Textile Research Association, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Defence Research & Development Establishment, Gwalior now at INMAS (DRDO) laboratory at Delhi. Heavy Vehicles Factory, Avadi, Tamil Nadu Small Arms Factory, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh Ordnance Factory at Muradnagar, Uttar Pradesh Ordnance Factory at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh Ordnance Factory Ambernath (Near Mumbai), Maharashtra Metal and Steel Factory, Ishapore (Near Kolkata), West Bengal Laboratory of Textiles Committee, Mumbai North India Textile Research Association, Ghaziabad Laboratory of Textiles Committee, Bangalore
2. All above testing laboratories may conduct Synthetic Blood Penetration Resistance Testof samples of “Body Coveralls for COVID-19” received from HLL Lifecare Ltd., BIS or any Government organisation and issue Test Results. However, as the BIS has started issuing license for “Body Coveralls for COVID-19”, no Lab will issue UCC to any PPE Coverall manufacturer.
3. Further, these laboratories may take samples of “Body Coveralls for COVID-19” from organisations other than Government Organisation only for the purpose of Internal Quality Control and product development. While issuing results of such tests, Labs must state the following:-
“This test reports is being issued for the purpose of Internal Quality Control and product development only.”
Sd/-
(Balram Kumar)
Director
Tel: 2306 3728
To:-
Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi Secretary, Deptt. Of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO, New Delhi Director General Ordnance Factory and Chairman, Ordnance Factory Board, Kolkata Director General, Bureau of Indian Standards, Manak Bhawan, New Delhi Director, South India Textile Research Association, Coimbatore Director, INMAS, New Delhi Secretary, Textiles Committee, Mumbai Director General - North India Textile Research Association, Ghaziabad Textile Commissioner, Mumbai CMD, M/s HLL Lifecare Ltd. Camp Office: Delhi and HO Trivandrum Notice Board: Ministry of Textiles, official websiteAnnexure-II
F. No.8/4/2020-R&D
Government of India
Ministry of Textiles
Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi
Dated 6th April 2020
Some instances have come to the notice of this Ministry, where Manufacturers / Suppliers whose proto-type samples for Body Coveralls for COVID-19 have failed laboratory tests, are still supplying their Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) Body Coveralls in the market.
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India has published a Comprehensive Guideline for Personal Protection Equipment for COVID-19. Since March 2020, the indigenous development of Manufacturers of Body Coveralls has been based on the MoH&FW’s guidelines published on 2nd March 2020.
As of now, there are two laboratories in the country which have the facilities as well as necessary approvals, for conducting tests on Body Coveralls (PPE) required for COVID-19. These are; South India Textiles Research Association (SITRA), Coimbatore; and Defence Research & Development Establishment (DRDE), Gwalior. The Tests and Certifications of Body Coveralls (PPE) conducted at these two laboratories in India are the only officially recognized ones.
In order to ensure that quality and safety standards of Body Coveralls are maintained consistently, as required in terms of Guidelines of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India for COVID-19, the following instructions are issued for compliance:
For each test conducted at SITRA in respect of a fabric and the PPE garments, for which proto-type samples are sent by the respective manufacturers, SITRA will generate a Unique Certification Code (UCC-COVID 19).This code should keep records of the type of fabric, type of garment, and its date of testing, testing standard, and other relevant particulars. SITRA will preserve the test sample in sealed condition in its custody for any future reference by a government agency. The Certification should have a fixed validation period in consistency with international norms. SITRA will issue such procedure even in respect of the proto-type samples tested since March 2020 and onwards.
2. Similar procedure as in Para 1 above, may be followed by DRDE, Gwalior.
3. The PPE Garment (Body Coveralls for COVID-19) manufacturer will manufacture Coveralls in accordance with the materials and workmanship as per the tested and certified proto-type sample, which is linked with the UCC-COVID 19. Any change in component of proto-type shall require a new test and certification and generation of a new Code.
4. The PPE (Body Coverall for COVID-19) garment manufacturer will either print in indelible ink, or stick a tamper-proof sticker, on the body of the garment on the inside of the PPE with the following particulars;
(i) Name of Manufacturer :
(ii) SITRA / DRDE Unique Certification Code (UCC)
(iv) Test Standard
(iv) Date of Manufacturing / Batch Number
(v) [Order: HLL life care Ltd] if the material is supplied to HLL life care. State Government and other bulk procurement agencies may insist on similar requirement if they desire so. This (v) may not be mandatory for retail orders.
5. M/s HLL Lifecare Limited will devise a sampling plan with regard to the frequency of test sample collection from the lots which are supplied progressively by the Manufacturer. The randomly collected test samples may be periodically sent to SITRA or DRDE for tests, as the case may be. Further action regarding acceptance procedure etc. may be devised by HLL Lifecare. Other State/Central Government agencies may also device random sample collection protocol and quality assurance plan. The quality control and assurance plan may be well publicised and informed to all suppliers in writing.
This procedure may be implemented with immediate effect. SITRA/DRDE may generate the Codes on immediate basis for information of the certified Body Coverall manufacturers, and HLL Lifecare.
(Nihar Ranjan Dash)
Joint Secretary
Copy for circulation to:
South India Textiles Research Association, Coimbatore Director, Defence Research & Development Establishment, Gwalior CMD, M/s HLL Lifecare Limited, Camp Office: Delhi and HO: Trivandrum (a copy of the instructions may be furnished to the Suppliers on which orders for Body Coveralls are placed for necessary compliance) Textiles Commissioner, Mumbai Notice Board: Ministry of textiles official website
Copy for kind information to:
Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi****