CERN started manufacturing face masks and shields early on during the pandemic. The designs were published under the CERN Open Hardware Licence (OHL), in line with CERN open source philosophy. CERN designed and produced innovative 3D-printed face masks with interchangeable filters, as well as moulds for the masks: these can be injected with silicon, offering an alternative production method that can be scaled up if needed. Later in November 2020, 40 transparent face shields based on a CERN design were distributed to a school in the Modena region of Italy to support teachers and pupils with hearing loss who cannot lip-read or interpret the facial expressions of someone wearing a mask.