Dan Bourgeois got the call he was waiting for.

The vice-president of product innovation for Bauer Hockey has received the go-ahead from the Quebec government to begin production of a protective facial shield, to help front-line health-care workers in the fight against the coronavirus.

Bourgeois said staff at Bauer’s innovation centre in Blainville, Que. will return to work Monday and begin production of a full face shield, designed to work with masks worn over the mouth. More than a week ago, Quebec Premier François Legault ordered the closure of all non-essential businesses in the province.

Bourgeois and his team, together with research and development staff at Bauer’s lacrosse equipment plant in Liverpool, N.Y., had been awaiting government approval since late last week, when they first joined forces to come up with ways to help during the pandemic.

“We expect to start shipping units by next Wednesday,” Bourgeois said about the Blainville plant, which makes skates for NHL players, including Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen.

He added the initial cost should be lower than the original estimate of $6 per unit, and that shipments are expected to increase from 2,000 per day to 4,000 by the end of next week. He estimated the total demand could reach 500,000 units, but that number could rise.

Bourgeois said they received approval at 2 a.m. Thursday morning, and a few hours later “emails were coming almost every minute.”

They developed the design while working at home, and contacted suppliers of the plastic and foam parts needed in advance of Thursday’s approval.

“Our standards and quality teams ensured that the visor meets all standards … it hasn’t met medical approval yet, but we are putting our name on it and we can assure doctors or police who use it that it does conform to standards and is safe to use,” Bourgeois said.