BC launches first accredited PPE testing lab in Western Canada

BC has been home to western Canada’s first accredited personal protective equipment (PPE) testing lab for around a year.

The Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), Ministry of Health and Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) claim that the lab was a “pandemic-driven innovation.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, there was an increased demand for PPE like medical gloves, gowns and surgical masks.

“VCH recognized the need for a local lab that could quickly test and validate the effectiveness of PPE to provide assurance to health-care workers and patients in the province,” explains the release.

The lab, located on the Vancouver General Health campus, was completed in June 2020 and accredited in October 2020.

Since it opened, the lab has expanded and now offers seven different tests for gowns and masks while being available to any Canadian organization.

The lab was established by a multidisciplinary team led by Vancouver Coastal Health and supported by Public Health Agency of Canada, National Research Council Canada, Standards Council of Canada, BC’s Ministry of Health, University of British Columbia, Provincial Health Services Authority and Providence Health Care.