In midst of hand sanitizer shortage, Facilities Management staff make their own

With hand sanitizer being one of the highly coveted and hard-to-get items around the country, UA Little Rock’s Office of Facilities Management has taken a proactive approach and has begun making their own supply for the campus community.

“We were all concerned about the availability of hand sanitizers for the university and foresaw the possibility that it might be an issue,” said Vince Rodgers, director of EHS and chemical hygiene. “Our boss recommended we look into how to make hand sanitizer. We decided to just pull the trigger while the ingredients are still readily available.”

Facilities Management staff anticipated a run on hand sanitizers and ordered ingredients so they could make their own in a pinch. As suspected, a supply order for hand sanitizers fell through so staff members got busy.

Facilities Management staff who participated in making the hand sanitizers include Rodgers, Sandra Vail, director of Facilities Management operations and services, Leslie Hutchins, director of planning and capital construction, and Cadence Baize, administrative assistant.

The 140 bottles of hand sanitizer were made with two-thirds isopropyl alcohol 99 percent and one-third triple Lanolin Aloe Vera lotion.

Bottles of hand sanitizer have been delivered to the open offices on campus and have been placed in cleaning sanitizing kits Facilities Management staff are delivering to computer and research labs around campus.

“There are a lot of YouTube videos that show you how to make your own hand sanitizer,” Vail said. “It’s just a matter of getting the supplies that you need. We have the equipment and supplies ready to make more if the campus needs it.”

In the upper right photo, Sandra Vail, left, and Vince Rodgers, right, transport the hand sanitizers made by Facilities Management for use on the UA Little Rock campus.