New organization helps businesses wanting to make hand sanitizer during COVID-19 shortage
Posted Mar 28, 2020 08:09:00 PM.
Businesses interested in making hand sanitizer or contributing to its manufacture as a means to help fight against the spread of COVID-19 now have a single platform to access available resources.
It’s called the Hand-Sanitizer Manufacturing Exchange, and it’s a collaboration among three Canadian organizations — The Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association, Cosmetics Alliance Canada and Ottawa’a Spirits Canada — with the help of Health Canada.
“Our three organizations have come together to aid in faster, safer and effective scale-up of hand-sanitizer production across Canada,” Cosmetics Alliance Canada CEO Carren Praznik said in a statement.
“People are coming together to do what they can in this crisis but Canadians need access to safe products,” CCSPA president Shannon Coombs added. “DIY hand sanitizers, the latest trend on social media, is at best ineffective against COVID-19 and at worst potentially dangerous. We pledge to do our best to ensure that Canadians have an adequate supply of safe and effective hand-sanitizer for you and your family.”
The platform will allow members to exchange information to locate available materials, as well as service or manufacturing capacity needed for production.
Members are also reminded to consult Health Canada and its bulletin that details how hand sanitizer products and the companies making them can seek expedited approvals from Canada’s health authority.
Hospitals and other healthcare areas in Canada have reported a looming shortage of hand sanitizer, among other items like gloves and N-95 masks.
Companies like Labatt Breweries have already reportedly said they’d start production of hand sanitizers in their factories.
Health Canada as already allowed the temporary sale of unregulated sanitizing products due to “unprecedented demand.”
The only differences with regulations involving these types of products are typically related to issues with packaging, labelling or bilingual requirements.
