MILWAUKEE, May 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Briggs &
Stratton Corporation continues to be humbled by the heroic acts of
the healthcare professionals who are working on the front lines of
the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Company is proud to be a part of a
MaskForce consortium that has designed, developed and produced a
reusable face mask with disposable filters to protect these
individuals.
The MaskForce face mask - which is temporarily authorized by the
FDA under an emergency use authorization for use by healthcare
professionals to help prevent the spread of infection or illness
during the COVID-19 pandemic – can be sanitized and reused, unlike
most face masks which are designed to be discarded after a single
use. Its filters, however, are intended to be disposed of after
every eight hours of wear, further extending the life of the
mask.
Because of its expertise in air filtration for its engines,
Briggs & Stratton Corporation led the consortium's efforts to
identify and source candidate filter materials found outside of the
traditional medical supply chain given the extreme shortages. A
team of Briggs & Stratton employees conducted more than 250
flow resistance and filtration efficiency tests on Briggs &
Stratton equipment to evaluate materials that will provide the
breathability, quality of filtration and protection needed by
medical professionals and first responders when caring for COVID-19
patients. The team presented its recommendations to the
consortium, which ultimately selected a medical grade material for
its final MaskForce design.
"Creating innovative products that make work easier and improve
lives is the mission we live by at Briggs & Stratton; so
naturally, when presented with the opportunity to use our expertise
in a way that can protect the lives of front line workers, our
employees met the challenge head-on," said Todd Teske, Chairman, President and CEO of
Briggs & Stratton Corporation. "We are honored to be a part of
the MaskForce consortium and my thanks goes out to Husco for
leading the effort as well as to each and every organization that
played a role in bringing this to life."
The mask is priced close to cost, with any profits in 2020
reinvested back into the community. In addition to accelerating
production of the current model, a smaller form-factor mask is
under development. The MaskForce face mask is temporarily
authorized pursuant to an FDA emergency use authorization and is
actively pursuing NIOSH N95 certification.
About MaskForce
The MaskForce consortium began when
more than 50 professionals representing 25 Milwaukee-area
manufacturers, first responders, educational institutions and
healthcare organizations gathered together with the shared goal of
developing a reusable face mask to help address the nationwide
health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Led by Husco, and
through the guidance and input of these organizations, the goal was
achieved in just four weeks. For additional information, visit
https://www.maskforce1.com/.
Supporters and partners
- Technical partners (design, validation, testing, tooling
& manufacturing): Briggs & Stratton Corporation,
Protolabs, Midwest Composites, Rexnord, Mastergraphics,
Brooks Stevens, PTC
- Financial Support (physical materials or financial
support): Briggs & Stratton Corporation, New Berlin Plastics,
Rockwell Automation, Quad Graphics, A.O. Smith, Sharp Packaging
- Sub Suppliers (supplying products or services to
MaskForce): New Berlin Plastics, Savage Solutions, Imperial,
Milcut, Pentair, Quarles & Brady
- Supporters (support to aid the progress of the project):
Congressman Mike Gallagher, Senator
Ron Johnson's office, Froedtert,
Medical College of Wisconsin,
Children's Wisconsin, Milwaukee Fire Dept., Lisbon Fire Dept., City of Waukesha Fire Dept., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Marquette University, Concordia University, University of Wisconsin-Madison
About Briggs & Stratton Corporation:
Briggs &
Stratton Corporation (NYSE: BGG), headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is focused on providing
power to get work done and make people's lives better. Briggs &
Stratton is the world's largest producer of gasoline engines for
outdoor power equipment, and is a leading designer, manufacturer
and marketer of power generation, pressure washer, lawn and garden,
turf care and job site products through its Briggs &
Stratton®, Simplicity®,
Snapper®, Ferris®,
Vanguard®, Allmand®, Billy Goat®,
Murray®, Branco® and Victa®
brands. Briggs & Stratton products are designed, manufactured,
marketed and serviced in over 100 countries on six continents. For
additional information, please visit www.basco.com
and www.briggsandstratton.com.
Legal disclaimer:
At this time, the MaskForce face
mask has not been FDA cleared or approved. The MaskForce product
has been authorized by FDA under an EUA for use as source control
by the general public as well as by health care personnel in
healthcare settings as to help prevent the spread of infection or
illness during the COVID-19 pandemic. The MaskForce face mask is
authorized only for the duration of the declaration that
circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency
use of medical devices, including alternative products used as
medical devices, during the COVID-19 outbreak, under section
564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1) unless the
authorization is terminated or revoked sooner.
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SOURCE Briggs & Stratton Corporation
