Covid in the Workplace – The Current Position
The UK is still in the grip of the Coronavirus outbreak & the most recent briefing from PHE suggested that 13 variants were under monitoring, eight under investigation and five were ‘variants of concern’. In short, with this now being a global issue and (as with all viruses) there are constantly evolving variants being discovered, Covid is not likely to be going anywhere soon.
Your Duty of Care Considerations
We frequently hear the phrase that ‘we are living and working in unprecedented times’ but what does that mean for employers and employees who are having to adjust to new working arrangements during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?
An employer has an overriding legal duty to take reasonable care of its employees’ health and safety. ‘Reasonable care’ means that an employer has to assess the potential risk; the harm it could cause an employee (and others), and the safety precautions that could be implemented to eliminate or minimise the risk to as low a level as practicable.
Under the common law, the duty extends, among other things, to the provision of:
- A safe place to work
- A safe place for residents to live if applicable
- Safe work equipment
- A safe system of work and work practices
- Personal protective equipment
- Competent colleagues
Targeted UVC lighting kills pathogens in a matter of minutes. By predetermining the area and the power of the light needed we can easily determine how long for each pathogen elimination.
The lamps are fully mobile to move between rooms and vehicles to maximise their cost-effectiveness, allow for unlimited disinfection, are safe and easy to operate, chemical-free, require no refills, no replacement parts, leave no residue, and no PPE is needed.
These lamps will disinfect any area, of any size, any time you wanted in a matter of minutes.
Lab-tested by SGS with verified kill rates as high as 99.9%, the lamps are fully automated with onboard scheduling – you can set the timers to switch on for a set time.
Given the litigious world we live in, onboard safety is paramount – if the sensor detects any movement from a living creature the lamp will instantly switch off. It’ll only switch back after 30 seconds passes without any more detected movement.
Compared to disinfectants applied as a fog, mist or vapour, UV treatment of surface leaves no chemical residue behind so rooms and spaces are available to use again immediately the cycle is finished.
UV Sterilisation – a brief history https://youtu.be/oF8dd3LIYwo
UVC light kills germs safely and effectively. It’s so good at disinfecting that it has become a key weapon in infection control. As can be seen in the video presentation (1) UVC In Action – YouTube it is very simple and safe to use, and powerful enough to kill some of the most challenging pathogens on earth, including MRSA, salmonella, E. coli, Norovirus, C.difficile, and the new Covid-19 coronavirus and its Variants
UVC light kills germs safely and effectively. It’s so good at disinfecting that it has become a key weapon in infection control. In fact as can be seen in the video presentation it is powerful enough to
kill some of the most challenging pathogens on earth, including MRSA, salmonella, E. coli, Norovirus, C.difficile, and the new Covid-19 coronavirus
A short YouTube video showing just how easy and effective these units are to use can be found on Choc Services Video – YouTube
Different alternative disinfection methods have been tested, such as;
- Sanitising Tunnels – although the CDC does not recommend the use of sanitizing tunnels, and so far there is no evidence that sanitising tunnels are effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19. Additionally, chemicals used in sanitising tunnels can cause skin, eye, or respiratory irritation or injury so are unlikely to develop as a solution, and;
- Fogging & Spraying – here in most cases, fogging, fumigation, and wide-area or electrostatic spraying of chemicals are again not recommended as primary methods of surface disinfection and, unless specified as a method of application on the product label have several safety risks to consider. Being a ‘wet’ application, they also mean the room or space needs to dry properly before it can be used again. Additionally, Disinfectants used in this way to control/kill harmful organisms such as bacteria and viruses are biocides and need to comply with the Biocidal Products Regulation concerning the supply and use of biocidal products. Legally, many biocidal products need authorisation before they can be used in the UK and only HSE can authorise biocides under the Biocidal Products Regulation in the UK.
Even where products are not specifically labelled as hazardous, dispersing them in mist, fogs or vapour increases the risk that they can enter the lung. In some individuals with respiratory conditions, such as asthma, this may provoke their symptoms.
Mobile 600W room sanitiser Mobile 200W vehicle sanitiser
No matter how good a manual job a cleaner does, it will never be 100% effective against pathogens. UPVC LED light treatment as part of the cleaning schedules has the best chance of complete disinfection.
Advantages of using UVC LED;
- Protects staff, visitors and any residents
- Decreases Costs – direct and indirect
- Reduces downtime of the spaces being cleaned
- Increases Productivity & reduces sick days
- Removes risk of damage to electronics & leather from misting/fogging chemicals
- Future-proofs against new Covid variants and new pathogens
- Longevity – Lifespan of LED UVC up to 10,000 hours.
- Chemical-free – UVC is a physical disinfectant, sustainable, environmentally friendly and cost-effective
- Cost-effective – Practically unlimited disinfection, no refills, replacements or additional labour
- Works every time – Not dependant on human processes, whatever the UVC touches it eliminates, based on (Time x Intensity x Distance)
- Instantly effective – No heat up or set up, choice of fully automated or push-button activation
- Safe – Safety first and foremost, each luminaire has multiple safety features built-in as standard
- Sustainable – Cost-effective, Long Lasting, Chemical Free, Mercury Free, Low Energy, Modular Design