Haniefuddin Rifky (left) with a representative of Bondowoso District Health agency showing the Hazmat Suit

ITS Campus, ITS News-The more days the number of positive patients Covid-19 is growing, thus making the medical personnel should work extra. Therefore, students with alumni of Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) make personal protective equipment (APD) in the form of Hazmat Suit to improve the safety of the medical personnel.

They are Haniefuddin Rifky (alumnus of Departement of Marine Engineering), Nabila Sarita Putri (student of Departement of Business Management), and Royyan Wafi Pujiyanto (student of the Department of Electrical Engineering). Starting from concern, the three see the medical workers must use an appropriate PPE. It makes them determined to help the medical personnel.

Haniefuddin Rifky says that nowadays medical personnel is severely deficient in APD. Many of them should wear raincoats as an APD to protect themselves from the transmission of this Covid-19 virus. “From here we start looking for references about the APD,” he said.

The process of making the product of Hazmat Suit from ITS’s students and alumnus

In addition to assisting the medical personnel, Hanief his familiar greeting, explained that they also wanted to invite the people to donate. The donation money is exchanged for the Hazmat Suit which will be given to the medical personnel in need. They do not serve buyers who aim to resell this Hazmat Suit. So they unite with the ITS Covid-19 Task Force (Satgas) in realizing it.

Hanief reveals that their artificial APD is not based on polypropylene spunbond such as the APD in general. However, this APD use parachute material. This is chosen because the polypropylene spunbond is currently out of stock.

The man of Bondowoso conveyed, his Hazmat Suit has received approval from the Bondowoso Health Office. Although with a slightly different base material, the health service ensures that the APD is suitable and feasible for medical workers to use. “Because it has got permission, so we make in large production,” he said.

Hanief mentions that the Bondowoso District Health Office said that his Hazmat Suit is better than polypropylene spunbond Hazmat Suit This is because of Hazmat Suit with Parachute material is more waterproof than the Hazmat Suit with polypropylene spunbond. But of course not 100 percent waterproof, because the Hazmat Suit still requires incoming air circulation.

Furthermore, he said that this parachute Hazmat Suit has another advantage over the general one. One of them is that it can be used up to five times. ” Users can wash this Hazmat APD Suit up to four times, “he said.

For the price, According to Hanif, his Hazmat Suit is also cheaper. With a price of about Rp 148 thousand, the user can already use this APD as much as five times usage. “Can save a little more or less Rp 77 thousand, ” said Hanief.

Hanief mentions, up to now approximately 200 Hazmat Suit are ready to be shipped and about 500 Hazmat Suit is still in on the manufacturing process. This Hazmat Suit has been successfully distributed to various city in Indonesia. Among them to Padang, Makassar, Mataram, Jombang, Blitar, and Surabaya.

Example of Hazmat Suit made by ITS students and alumnus

In the manufacturing process, the Hanief says that his team does not make this Hazmat Suit APD himself. Hanief and the team cooperate with eight tailors in Bondowoso, which is incorporated in the board of Rumah Cantik Nina. “We are working with them to create this Hazmat Suit,” he explained.

The action that has done together by Hanief and his colleagues received a positive response from the Vice-Rector IV’s Bambang Pramujati ST. MSc Eng Ph.D. Bambang said that this is an extraordinary movement that has been conducted by alumni and students. The empathy that grows from alumni and students can be an example for others. “With this, it proves that students can also take a role in this pandemic,” he said proudly.

Bambang continued, in addition to assisting the medical personnel, the team was also successfully helped to improve the business of local tailors. With the cooperation, the tailors ‘ business became alive amid the pandemic that took place. “If more orders, teams plan to increase the number of tailors in different regions,” he said.

Meanwhile, Hanief hopes that his team succeeds in realizing his initial goals. The goal is to get people to donate and distribute the donation products to the parties in need. “Lastly I hope that we should be patient and keep spirit,” he concluded. (dil/rev/ITS Public Relations)

Poster to make the Hazmat Suit with ITS students and alumnus