© Antti Aimo-Koivisto
According to a survey commissioned by the Confederation of Finnish Trade Unions, the largest retail companies evaluate the adequacy of mouthguards designed for consumer use.
Demand for face masks has intensified in Finland in recent days, although the official face mask recommendation has not yet been introduced in Finland.
According to the Finnish Trade Union Confederation’s safety expert Lauri Kulonen, the demand for mouth-nose protectors has been many times higher this week than last week.
– You can talk about up to 10-20 times the amounts, Kulonne estimates in MTV Uutinen Uutisaamu.
According to a survey commissioned by the Finnish Trade Union Confederation, Päivittäistavarakauppa ry and the Construction and Interior Products Trade Association RASI ry, the stock situation of protective equipment in stores is currently good.
– More than a third of the responding companies consider the protection to be adequate at least well, even if demand in large growth centers doubles.
The survey was conducted on 4-5 May. August with large, national players in the trade sector.
Preparations are made for the mask recommendation
According to Kulonen, the Confederation of Finnish Trade Unions relies on the Confederation of Finnish Industries’ April estimate, according to which the daily consumer usage of mouthguards could rise to 3–5 million.
However, according to Kulonen, it may be necessary to prepare for the temporary shrinkage of the shelves. Regional differences in mask sales volumes are also possible.
– However, the logistics work and new goods are constantly being sold.
According to Kulonen, demand has been high, especially for disposable masks. Demand is expected to grow in the future, especially if the mask recommendation enters into force in Finland.
– In addition to the current situation survey, we are trying to anticipate a situation where the demand for protectors would increase significantly, for example on the basis of new instructions or recommendations issued by the authority.