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Welding Program builds hands-free door openers to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on campus

2020-08-10
Men hold pieces of metal while wearing protective face gear
Students in SCC's Welding Program hold hand-crafted metal door openers alongside instructor Kelly Robinson (right).

Throughout the summer, college officials have been working diligently to provide new sanitation procedures and equipment to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 when fall classes begin on August 17.

In preparation for the influx of people and the increasing rate of positive cases in North Carolina, SCC has implemented widespread safety measures such as plexiglass, hand sanitizer stations, social distancing markers, freely available masks and now hands-free door openers for many of its restrooms. 

Over the past month, SCC’s welding program has crafted nearly 50 door openers in their shop, saving the college $2,500 in out-of-pocket costs. The students’ fast, durable craftsmanship is a testament to the strength of the program and its skill-based training, and it also shows just how hard everyone at SCC is working to persevere and adapt to these challenging times.

“It’s been very exciting to be able to provide these items for SCC. This was a really cool project to get to do, and it’s obviously a very important one,” said Kelly Robinson, Welding Instructor. “The students were thrilled to be a part of the process for making something unique like these.”

The hands-free openers will be installed at all SCC campuses. The welding program will continue to produce them until all campus needs are met.

“While we are all aware that social distancing and wearing masks are actions we can take to prevent the spread of COVID-19, something that’s much harder to avoid is opening and closing doors touched by others,” said Megan Nicholson, Emergency Services/Safety Coordinator. “Thanks to the help of the welding program, we can further promote healthy actions at all of our SCC locations with these hands-free door openers, and they get to leave their craftsmanship here for years to come. We are lucky to have such skilled students who can help protect SCC in times like these.”

To request a door opener or any other safety and sanitation equipment, please contact Nicholson at m_nicholson@southwesterncc.edu or 828.339.4621.

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