Founded in Italy in 1977, the Kasco company has been dealing with respiratory protection for more than 40 years. Among the various businesses, it mainly produces assisted ventilation systems with mask, hood or full face helmet, full face masks, dust and gas filters.

The company has always played a “niche” role on the market, serving specific industrial and non-industrial sectors, environments at high risk and harmful to human health. The Coronavirus pandemic and the health emergency drew attention to the topic of biological risk and prevention measures for health professionals: people at risk of contagion more exposed than others. Due to the critical situation of shortage of PPE on the market on the one hand and the growing internal need from hospitals, institutes and ASLs throughout Italy on the other, in June 2020 the Kasco company launched and CE certified a new ventilated hood. . PAPR – acronym for Powered Air Puryfing Respirator  – was born from the idea of ​​offering the market an integral device with protection against solid and liquid particulates certified UNI EN 12941: 2009. With autonomy of over 2 work shifts (approximately 15 actual hours), the control unit, equipped with a pair of P3 filters, filters the air in the environment at 99.95%, which is conveyed through the connection tube to the headgear. The positive pressure avoids breathing efforts and fogging of the viewer, guaranteeing the operator a flow greater than 160 l / min for the entire working cycle, a non-trivial aspect during hot periods and work stress. The acoustic alarm integrated into the engine promptly alerts the operator in the event of malfunctions, battery termination or loss of air flow. The EN 166: 2001 viewer in optical class 1 favors the visibility of the wearer avoiding distortions or optical deformations. This solution is also reusable, thus reducing the use of disposables with significant positive impacts on the environment and versatile as it is easy and comfortable to wear for any operator.

Last but not least to avoid cross contamination is the ease of sanitation. The cap made of synthetic material can be easily sanitized while the IP65 certified motor-battery unit allows maximum disinfection of the device without damage. During the pandemic, the K20 T8X model represented an ideal solution for intensive care units, Covid centers, specific resuscitation areas, high exposure situations where maneuvers on the patient generate aerosols in the environment. This launch allowed the company to enter a new sector, the medical and hospital one.

The company

The company, based in Reggio Emilia, specialized in professional and quality respiratory protection, faced the Covid-19 emergency with good results and a growth rate of turnover + 60% in 2020 compared to the previous year.