Coronavirus: Defective protective goggles withdrawn in NI
- Published
Some of the defective protective goggles recalled by the government at the weekend had arrived for distribution in NI.
Almost 16m protective goggles were recalled from hospitals and the front line across the UK after failing safety tests.
The equipment was to be used in the independent sector.
The Northern Ireland Department of Health said there had been no significant impact on supply.
The "Tiger Eye" protectors were purchased in 2009 during the swine flu pandemic and were in CE marked boxes - meaning they should have met European Union safety requirements.
The goggles have since been retested and do not provide proper splash protection.
In a statement to BBC News NI, a spokesperson for the DoH said: "On 8 May DHSC advised DoH NI to withdraw Tiger Medical Products - goggles and eye protection - due to issues with their fit.
"BSO notified trusts of this recall on the same day.
"This has not had a significant impact on supply locally as there are sufficient supplies of alternative eye protection".
The eye protectors were designed for lower-risk scenarios.
A national standards body warned they should not be used to protect medics against coronavirus.
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- Published11 May 2020
- Published10 May 2020
