A window manufacturer from Stevenage has been spending lockdown making plastic visors for essential workers – and he has no plans to stop now.

Paul Moran has run Advanced Windows (UK) since 1995, and has used his knowledge of the industry to make visors during the COVID-19 pandemic – at times working 24 hours a day to streamline production.

“We have two or three 3D printers on the go at any one time,” Paul said. “At the moment our capacity is eight a day, but I’ve been going back-and-forth from the factory at 1am or 2am so we can keep things moving.”

Paul said he felt like he “had a duty to help,” once the severity of the pandemic became clear, and knew he was well-placed to make a difference.

“I am quite a restless person, which means I can’t sit still for too long. Other than tidying the factory, I thought might as well put my mind to this, to try and make a difference.”

Paul said that most people are still not aware just how important face protection is during a pandemic, and is calling on workers to take head gear seriously.

“Anybody dealing face-to-face in their work needs some form of protection at all times. I can guarantee you that you scratch your face 100 times a day without even realising.”

Paul’s factory is only 100 yards from two temporary mortuaries, which he says has given him a recognition of how deadly the virus can be.

“There are private ambulances and funeral director’s vans from all over Hertfordshire arriving all day, every day. When you see the vans reversing through the doors to unload the victims – you realise that this is real.”

Advanced Windows (UK) celebrates its 25 year anniversary next Tuesday, but Paul said he has no plans to let visor production slip, and has turned the programme into a well-oiled family operation.

Paul’s wife Jane has been cutting out the visors from a Cricut machine, while his daughter Leah has been assembling and delivering them to the community.

Paul’s visors have been sent to local care homes, such as Monread Lodge, Boots in Stevenage High Street, local vets, pharmacies – where his daughter Kirsty works as a chemist – as well as psychiatric and mental health nurses.

“These are being donated free of charge to anyone who needs them, so we still need donations to pay for the materials,” Paul added. “Please, please, all those who haven’t donated yet – we can’t get these produced without your help.

If you wish to donate, visit Paul’s gofundme page.