ENGLISH

MAKING SURGICAL FACE MASKS 1

MAKING SURGICAL FACE MASKS 5

Instructions for the Manual: Making Surgical Face Masks

In the process of creating a surgical face mask, several steps are followed. The steps are similar to those used in making cloth face masks, but the difference is the incorporation of non-woven fabric in making the surgical masks. It is the non-woven fabric that makes surgical masks more effective compared to typical cloth masks.

List of Equipment

· Cotton weave fabric

· All-purpose sewing thread

· Hair ties (2): either cotton ribbons, or elastic ribbons

· Micron filter: Non-woven filter media, filter fabrics, or filter cloth

· Scissors

· Ruler

· Pins or clips

· Double-sided skin adhesive: Double-faced tapes or adhesive skin contact tapes

Steps to Making Surgical Face masks

Step 1: Cut a rectangular cotton cloth measuring 8.5" wide by 16" long. Fold the fabric in the middle and join the top edge by sewing it together. Leave a 4" opening along the side to act as a pocket (Sarah, 2020). The pouch will allow the insertion of the filter material. The cloth should be sewn inside-out

Step 2: Pin Elastic or Fabric Ties. Pin one piece of the elastic or fabric tie to each side of the mask. To make the ear loop, attach one end of the elastic to the top corner of the rectangle cloth fabric and the other end to the bottom edge (Henneberry, 2020). Once the mask is turned inside-out, the ear loop will be on the outside once the mask is turned inside-out.

Step 3: Repeat the process on the other side to make the second ear loop. If using fabric, four fabric ties should be attached at each corner of the mask, for tying the mask behind the head.

The above picture shows how the ear loops are attached to the mask.

Step 4: Making the Pleats. Mark three equally spaced lines on the mask and fold the mask along the lines to make three evenly placed pleats. Use pins to hold the pleats into place. The pins should hold the pleats at the edge of the mask, as shown in the figure below.

Fig. 2 shows how the pleats are made and held with pins.

Step 5: Sewing the pleats. Sew the pleats along the folded lines, as shown below.

Fig.3 shows how the pleats are sewn on the mask

Step 6: Insert the non-woven filter fabric into the mask through the 4” opening, on the edge of the mask. The mask is now ready for use. The non-woven filter fabric is removable, and that makes the mask reusable since new filter fabric can be inserted into the mask.

General Warnings/ Cautions

1. The pleats should be made facing downwards to prevent materials and other particles from accumulating in the folded pockets

2. The non-woven filter fabric should not be sewn on the mask since it should be removable.

Reflective Memo

To: Professor Erika Strandjord

From: Yuemeng Wang

RE: Surgical Mask Manual

Date: May 5, 2020

In writing the instructions, I took the needs of the audience into account by outlining all the necessary equipment and steps that the audience needs to produce a surgical mask. After assembling the listed apparatus, the audience can follow the outlined steps and be able to create surgical masks. To enhance a proper understanding of the instructions by the audience, I included visuals in some of the steps.

I organized my instructions in chronological order from the first step to the last. That is because making surgical masks is procedural, and specific steps must be met before proceeding to the next level. That is why the instructions are also procedural. Otherwise, if the instructions are not outlined in stages, it would be difficult for the audience to make an effective surgical face mask. The procedure is vital.

I decided to include warnings since the audience may not readily notice such precautions. For instance, the pleats on the mask should be facing downwards to avoid the accumulation of particles on them. A typical person may not know why the pleats should be facing downwards

In inserting visuals, I was guided by the necessity of such a visual in making the instructions clearer. I added visuals based on steps that may appear hard for the audience to understand. For instance, in making pleats, I had to add a picture showing how the pleats are made and sewn. That would give the audience a clear understanding of what is expected of them in making pleats

The challenge I encountered in creating descriptions of the visuals is that it was challenging to find visuals that perfectly fit the situation. The visual has to be perfect for the specific step, and it was difficult finding such visuals.

References

Chellamani, K.P. Veerasubramanian, D. Balaji. R.S. (2013). “Surgical Face Masks: Manufacturing Methods and Classifications.” Journal of Academia and Industrial Research, vol. 2, no. 6 http://jairjp.com/NOVEMBER%202013/02%20CHELLAMANI%201.pdf

Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal, Volume, Issue, Year, pages.

Henneberry, B. (2020). “How Surgical Masks Are Made.” Thomas Industry. https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/other/how-surgical-masks-are-made/

Lundman, Susan. “How to Make Vegetarian Chili.” eHow, www.ehow.com/how_10727_make-vegetarian-chili.html. Accessed 6 July 2015.

Sarah, M. (2020). “How to Sew a Surgical Face Mask for Hospitals-Free Pattern.” https://sarahmaker.com/how-to-sew-a-surgical-face-mask-for-hospitals-free-pattern/