- The masks provided at the start of the week by the city of Lyon were greatly mocked on social networks.
- Les Tissages de Charlieu, who produced them, returns to the reasons for the misunderstanding.
- These are raw products designed in an emergency at the start of containment but certified and particularly resistant.
Mocked on social networks, the masks distributed by the city of Lyon, will they be entitled to a second chance? Qualified as "mop" or "cloths", the products have displeased for their aesthetic side. But what if it all started from a misunderstanding or a lack of explanations beforehand that could have silenced the critics?
“We fully understand people's reaction. It is true that in appearance, they are not the prettiest, "says Antoine Saint-Pierre, associate director of Tissages Charlieu in the preamble. The company located near Roanne, recognized for its textile expertise, is the one that manufactured the pieces in question. What the locals do not know, however, is the genesis of the project.
Raw products
From March 17, the first day of confinement, the company reoriented its Jacquard weaving looms to produce 200,000 masks per day. “Today, we would almost forget it, but at that time, we were in a situation of very short mask shortages. We were in the urgency of having to make up for a lack ”, explains the head of the company. So much so that some CHUs in France have mobilized helicopters to come and recover the goods from the Roanne workshop as quickly as possible.
“We worked urgently with one guideline: to make masks for the greatest number, as quickly as possible and in the most accessible way in terms of costs. This is the reason why we have chosen not to deliver ready-to-use masks, ”says Antoine Saint-Pierre. The parts sold 0.85 euro the unit (against 2 or 3 euros for the others), you will understand it, require some adjustments before being used. They must be steamed "so that the fibers swell and shrink". Then washed to match the shape of the face.
Very important filtering performance
“This raw product (which can be washed 30 times) generated misunderstandings. I understand this perfectly but if we had made ready-made models, we would have taken ten times more time. And there was no time, ”said the manager. Its teams, sometimes hurt by reactions on social networks, have in fact worked tirelessly. All volunteers to take turns 24/7 on Jacquart looms so dear to the history of Lyon. “You had to have the right sons at the right time. We worked with what we could have, continues the leader. The most important thing for us was to be able to develop very important filtering performances ”.
The models, tested and certified, are capable of filtering 90% of the emitted particles with a size greater than or equal to 3 microns. They have already proven themselves at the Léon Bérard anti-cancer center in Lyon, the first to have been delivered. Caregivers, patients, all wore them at the start of confinement. "It is true that the masks are not beautiful but if a mop can save lives, that is the main thing", smiles Antoine Saint-Pierre.
In reality, the city of Lyon had no other masks of the general public typeto distribute at the start of the week. It called on several suppliers. Charlieu's weavings were quick to deliver. Perhaps it would have been judicious for the town hall to specify at the time of the delivery of the precious sesame seeds that they were not “ready-to-use masks”? But on this question, Antoine Saint-Pierre prefers not to take part in the debate. “It's difficult for everyone. Everyone could have done better, but managing emergency situations is not always easy. The most important thing is to be able to save lives, "he said, adding that his company is currently working on" finished "models. We bet that with these keys of understanding, the Lyonnais will now proudly display their "mops" ...
Society
Coronavirus: Les Tissages de Charlieu at full capacity to produce cloth masks for caregivers and the public
Society
Deconfinement in Lyon: "Tea towels", "mops", the masks provided by the city are the subject of mockery
- Covid 19
- Society
- Coronavirus
- Deconfinement
- Lyon
- Sewing
- Textile