Louisiana PPE Company Donates to Dept. of Children and Family Services

BROUSSARD, La. (press release) – SafeSource Direct, a manufacturer of American-made personal protective equipment, has donated a supply of nitrile gloves to support Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services case workers. The safety gear was used during a May 23 fentanyl use and prevention training hosted by Love Acadiana in partnership with Our Savior's Church.

As part of its ongoing commitment to public health and safety, SafeSource Direct recognizes the critical role played by the dedicated professionals at the Louisiana DCFS. Today's training session equipped DCFS case workers with a box of SafeSource Direct nitrile gloves and the necessary knowledge and skills to safeguard themselves while handling substances that may pose risks to their health.

"At SafeSource Direct, we are passionate about supporting those on the front lines of public service, and we recognize the importance of protecting the safety and well-being of case workers," said Justin Hollingsworth, CEO of SafeSource Direct.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 100 times more potent than morphine. Exposure to fentanyl can be extremely dangerous, and even a small amount can cause serious harm or even death. The primary risk of fentanyl exposure comes from accidental inhalation, ingestion, or absorption through the skin. This can occur when handling or touching the drug without proper protection or when consuming counterfeit drugs that have been laced with fentanyl. Fentanyl exposure can cause respiratory depression, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and in severe cases, coma or respiratory failure. Those who work in law enforcement, healthcare, or other professions that may come into contact with fentanyl should take proper precautions and receive training to minimize the risk of exposure.This includes wearing nitrile gloves.

SafeSource Direct's American-made nitrile exam gloves provide protection against fentanyl; and they are chemo-rated, meaning they can protect against the hazards of working with chemotherapy drugs.

"We are incredibly grateful to SafeSource Direct for donating high-quality nitrile gloves made right here in our community," said Angela Gagliano, a Volunteer Coordinator with Love Acadiana. "These gloves will help case workers get started in the first of many steps to prevent accidental contact with fentanyl."

With two state-of-the-art facilities in Broussard, Louisiana, SafeSource Direct has multiple operational production lines capable of manufacturing 108,000 gloves per hour. The company is on track to produce 12 billion gloves annually with additional manufacturing capacity available on-site. As the company expands its capacity over the coming months, it will be among the largest manufacturers of chemo-rated nitrile exam gloves in America- if not the largest.

In addition to gloves, SafeSource Direct produces Level 1 and 3 surgical ear loop and surgical tie masks and standard three-ply Level 1 and 3 procedure masks, which received FDA 510(k) clearance in May. It also makes shoe covers and will soon be making N95 respirators, hair bouffant head covers, isolation gowns, and more.