Shipment Of Counterfeit Face Masks Spotted By Mass. Hospital Worker

An employee at a Massachusetts hospital is being celebrated for noticing a shipment of tens of thousands of counterfeit N95 surgical masks that could have potentially endangered frontline medical workers.

James "Barry" O'Shaughnessy, who has 25 years of experience working as the manager of procurement of South Shore Health in Weymouth, recently ordered 30,000 masks, but noticed a problem once they arrived at the hospital.

“The labels on the boxes were placed differently than other shipments,” O’Shaughnessy said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press. “And the plastic bag inside the boxes had a strange seal. My gut told me something was off.”

O'Shaughnessy said he reached out to a 3M representative to help inspect the third-party masks and confirm that they weren't sent from a 3M-authorized distributor.

“I sent 20-30 photos of the product to 3M and the representative confirmed my suspicion. The masks were counterfeit,” O'Shaughnessy said via the AP

The masks at South Shore Health were later seized by the Department of Homeland Security, which confirmed it is investigating the situation in a statement obtained by the AP.

“Barry’s deep experience and keen attention to detail helped protect thousands of South Shore Health employees from wearing counterfeit masks that would put them at risk,” President and CEO Dr. Allen Smith said. “We are grateful for his watchful eyes and dedication to the safety of our colleagues.”

South Shore Health is among hospitals nationwide that have faced shortages of masks and other protective equipment amid a high demand created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Photo: Getty Images