By Alesha Capone
Inventor and designer Joe Ferlazzo is making touch-free surgical glove removers for local medical centres.
Mr Ferlazzo is part of Grow With Joe, a group of volunteers who upscale recycled materials into useful items.
He is also a driving force behind the Wyndham Repair Café, which was based at Envision in Werribee, but has been without a home since the company closed its Wyndham operations earlier this year.
While the search for the café’s new headquarters continues, Mr Ferlazzo has been busy thinking of ways to help the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Ferlazzo said he did not come up with the idea for the glove-removers, but has modified a design for the item, which he first saw on the internet.
The glove remover can be attached to a surface, such as a bench or trolley, and allows a person to hook their disposable glove onto the end for hands-free removal.
Mr Ferlazzo said he was using a 3D-printer to manufacture the plastic glove removers at his Werribee South residence. It takes around four hours to make each individual glove remover.
Mr Ferlazzo said he would like to donate a glove remover to any medical centres in Wyndham which would like one.
He has already supplied two GP clinics, in Truganina and Werribee, with a glove remover each.
“The first centre was very grateful and very happy to use it,” Mr Ferlazzo said.
“The second one were virtually tripping over their desk to grab it and knew exactly where they would put it.”
Through the Grow with Joe website, Mr Ferlazzo is also offering to donate a glove remover to someone’s medical centre of choice, if they purchase 20 ear-protectors (which are designed to prevent pain behind the ears of people wearing a facemask).
“All I want to do is get out and help people,” Mr Ferlazzo said.
Mr Ferlazzo said he was also happy to supply the glove remover designs to other people or businesses with 3D printers.
“There is also no reason that other groups with 3D printers couldn’t get in contact with me and I can send them the plans, and they can print one or two for their local medical centre,” he said.
Details: growwithjoe.org
Alesha Capone
