Scottish firms with production lines should be repurposed to manufacture Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to tackle the coronavirus crisis, Unite has said.
The trade union has also called on the Scottish Government to increase supplies in the country by purchasing PPE from international providers.
A chartered flight from China containing 10 million face masks arrived in Scotland on Saturday, and Unite say the government should identify other international suppliers with availability.
It comes amid reports of a national shortage of the vital equipment which protects health and care workers from possible infection.
A recent questionnaire by the Royal College of Nursing showed nearly half of respondents (46%) had felt pressured to treat patients without adequate protective equipment.
Almost half (47%) of respondents working in high-risk environments and 36 per cent in general care environments said they had been asked to reuse single-use equipment.
In England, it has been reported that staff have been advised to reuse PPE due to supply issues in the NHS.
Pat Rafferty, Unite Scottish Secretary, said: “Unite Scotland is calling on the Scottish Government to prevent an escalation in the health and safety threat following the alarming reports of hospitals having to reuse personal protective equipment, which is a national scandal.
"This is completely unacceptably and compromises worker and public safety. For the HSE also to issue guidance stating that in certain circumstances equipment can be reused is beyond belief."
"Unite passed on details of identified suppliers in Germany and China to the Scottish Government through the STUC last week to accelerate the purchasing of protective equipment.
"These products could be ordered immediately.
"In addition, we repeat our call to work with us to approach a number of Scottish based manufacturing firms who can help address this crisis by altering their operations in order to start producing the necessary equipment needed to keep workers and the public safe.”
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