As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a profound impact globally, it has hit close to home by touching many communities in which RPM companies operate. Though handwashing is one of the most basic preventative measures recommended by organizations like the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), millions of people around the world lack access to clean water and sanitation facilities—making this a nearly impossible feat.

South Africa, for example, has a massive water crisis, high unemployment rate and large population of low-income workers. Many of these particularly vulnerable groups across the country live in closely inhabited townships, known locally as “squatter camps,” where water supply is virtually non-existent—giving COVID-19 the perfect opportunity to spread like wildfire.

In response to this growing crisis, South African company Enviromould designed a solution—dubbed “EaziWash” stations—with all-in-one handwashing, sanitization and water supply capabilities in an effort to help these communities stay safe, clean and healthy. Consisting of large, plastic JoJo tanks that hold up to 5,000 liters of water, the EaziWash stations are housed on top of a steel frame with handwashing basins, bucket holders and sanitization dispensers.

As part of this project, Carboline South Africa was called upon to supply its quick-dry, corrosion control Carbocoat GP-55 primer for all of the steelwork, as well as its durable Carboclad 938 Finish topcoat solution for demarcation markings on concrete pads to promote safe social distancing among station users. In the first week, Carboline helped to deliver and install 125 stations to the first township in Cape Town. The remaining 125 units were completed by the second week—totaling 250 EaziWash stations for the township. Since then, plans have been made to install more than 1,000 additional stations in surrounding South African communities.

Thanks to Carboline South Africa for doing its part to help protect its local community and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in these especially vulnerable South African townships.