In this Readers Platform, your author explains handrail UV-C disinfection.
by Lawrence Madanda
Early in 2020, as the pandemic made its way into our daily lives, there was a dramatically increased concern regarding common touch points found in public places, where the risk of transmission was proven to be exceptionally high. One of the most contentious public-domain “touch points” is the moving handrails found on escalators and moving walks. The avoidance of holding handrails has long been a challenge to operators, as most accidents result from the reluctance of users to hold the handrail. Compounded with the concerns of the virus causing COVID-19, holding a handrail in 2020-2021 became a gamble not many were willing to take.
Several industries and agencies frantically looked for solutions and options to minimize these risks. One solution that gained rapid attention was directed at ultraviolet (UV) light. UV light has long had the unique ability to destroy a pathogen’s ability to reproduce and spread. UV-C, in particular, has the ideal wavelengths to damage a pathogen’s DNA, disabling its spread to a host and growth of its infection. This has been proven in volumes of scientific experiments, studies and papers. But, does that mean it works on handrails? Not necessarily.
Does UV-C Disinfect COVID-19 on Moving Handrails?
The first truth of all disinfection sources (including UV-C) is that no single product can claim to eliminate the risk of infection. There are far too many variables in an actively used escalator or moving walk to make such a claim. In fact, no disinfectant product (liquid, gel, coating, protectant, etc.) can make this claim for handrails. Because of this, the first necessary step is to acknowledge that a responsible product should focus on the reduction of risk on moving handrails. This is where a continuous, or “always on,” source of disinfection — such as HoldSafeTM by PürHealth — has become very interesting. However, not all solutions are the same.
The first truth of all disinfection sources (including UV-C) is that no single product can claim to eliminate the risk of infection.
To achieve a verified and honest claim requires transparent information on three critical questions:
What Is the UV-C Light Source?
- At last count, there were hundreds of LED companies globally, several of which claim to produce UV-C LEDs. UV-C wavelength LEDs with accuracy and reliability are, in fact, among some of the hardest to produce. In 2020, a Canadian advisory warned that several consumer UV products were falsely making claims yet were proliferating the market.[1] UV-C light sources cannot be taken for granted.
- There are very few verified LED chip manufacturers in the world that produce reliable and effective UV-C LEDs. Industry standards for test conditions and parameters exist for LEDs to validate performance and lifetime. Unless from a reputable LED source, this data cannot be trusted and is often inaccurate.
- UV-C LEDs are continually evolving, creating the opportunity for consistent upgrades to improve the efficacy of UV-C solutions. PürHealth is a UV-C LED solution company with close links to the best LED manufacturers. This provides a roadmap of upgrades that will keep its solution at the cutting edge of continuous disinfection.
How Has the Product Been Tested?
- Most manufacturers will reference published test reports on UV-C effectiveness. Although from reputable sources, these tests are typically conducted for medical or health care purposes and are not representative of results that could occur on an actual handrail. Referencing generic UV-C reports should no longer be acceptable.
- To be valid, testing must be representable to a real-world risk factor, such as an individual who is COVID-19 positive, coughing in their hands and making contact with the handrail. This is the real scenario that needs to be tested. With only one exception, no company has conducted this testing.
Is the Design Optimized for Moving Handrails?
- Applying UV-C light to a moving handrail is ineffective unless it is optimized for this purpose. A surprising example is that several designs try to simply reflect UV-C light to the sides of the handrail — a move that is ineffective. The sides of a handrail are key touch points. Failing to properly apply UV-C light on these is an overall failure.
- Optimizing the design includes direct exposure of the UV-C light onto the three sides of the handrail — not with reflectors — and can include other enhanced features to track and manage the lifetime of the UV-C source (which is limited to 10,000 h in most cases). These are must-have design features not found in most products.
What Do Operators Need To Do?
Ultimately, an operator of escalators and moving walks is handling high volumes of users and has a responsibility to ensure the safest possible environment. If we are to learn from the last two years, we must acknowledge that public safety transcends physical risks and now includes microbiological risks.
Operators, manufacturers and service providers should offer customers the most effective and reliable products available. Producers are no longer in a “panicked” market, so buyers can now focus on sourcing products that can prove their overall effectiveness — not just for specific COVID-19 fighting times. Manufacturers of UV products can no longer ride the wave of short-term gain; rather, they should show a long-term commitment to their products and the science. They should always look for a disinfection supplier with a roadmap for the future, a knowledge of maintenance cycles and the ability and willingness to upgrade.
Users need a renewed sense of trust and confidence when using a moving handrail, and operators can play an important role in selecting the right solution. We have learned that the benefits of safety practices, such as hand-washing, almost eradicated the flu season last year, and the use of continuous disinfection protocols will continue to minimize these events and create safer environments. Eventually, governing bodies may start to mandate certain protocols for public safety; however, now is the time to differentiate and attract users back onto premises. There are several advantages to promoting this type of enhancement on their properties, from showing a public responsibility to being leaders in their industry.
Operators, manufacturers and service providers should offer customers the most effective and reliable products available.
Making the Right Choice
This past year has allowed the manufacturers of handrail UV disinfection devices the opportunity to evolve, invest and develop better solutions. Unfortunately, most market members did not answer the call and continue to promote an outdated product that likely does not have the test data, optimized design or reliability that is needed today. Even some of the largest and most established brands in the industry may have fallen into this trap, as UV disinfection was never a consideration of the vertical-transportation industry in the past.
It is actually quite easy to find the better product on the market. It requires the transparency of the manufacturer to share all the technical, test and performance data of their products. It starts on the website, and can easily be exposed with the correct questions:
- What is the UV-C source, and is it reputable?
- Was there testing for the virus causing COVID-19 on actual handrail material?
- Is the product designed to maximize effectiveness for escalator and moving walk handrails?
- Does the manufacturer have a clearly defined upgrade and maintenance schedule for the products, and will they be here tomorrow to help you?
PürHealth, the manufacturer of HoldSafe products, provides answers to all of the above questions, and more. It is a UV disinfection company, so it understands how to deliver an effective product and make responsible, realistic claims. And, although the company hopes to never experience a global pandemic of the same scale, it knows to recognize that all have a responsibility to do what we can to minimize such a risk. Avoiding the next pandemic will be the result of several cumulative actions. Investing in safer handrails is one of those critical choices.
PürHealth Technologies Inc. leverages more than 40 years of LED and design expertise to offer products to market that use UV technology in innovative ways to make the world a safer place — the goal being smarter products, safer places.
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