Heraeus Noblelight, a specialist for industrial light source solutions, announces Soluva Air W and Air M10 UVC (UVGI) air disinfection units are helping provide protection from COVID-19 pathogens for employees at its factories in Gaithersburg, MD and Buford, GA. Now in addition to social distancing, hand washing and mask wearing safety measures, the UV-C (UVGI) devices make the working environment even safer and help avoid manufacturing disruptions due to employee infections.

Many food processing and packaging facilities have operations similar to Heraeus Noblelight’s where employees stand in close proximity to each other to process, inspect and pack food products. Even shipping areas often have employees packing boxes and moving about close to one another. Meat and poultry processing plants and other food processors can learn from Heraeus Noblelight’s example. They too can avoid manufacturing disruptions due to employee virus infection by installing Soluva UV-C air disinfection devices.

Florian Decker, Managing Director for Heraeus Noblelight America, LLC (Gaithersburg, MD) explained, “Like other manufacturers we want to do everything we can to protect our employees and avoid production disruptions. Even though most employees are now vaccinated, the vaccines are not 100% effective and of course mutations are an ongoing risk. In addition to our usual hygiene practices, the Soluva UVGI disinfection devices are an engineering control measure that provides a consistent and reliable way for us to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 as well as future viruses and seasonal colds and flu.”

Protecting employees as workplaces reopen
Heraeus Noblelight employs over 150 people at the Gaithersburg and Buford manufacturing facilities where they produce UV curing systems and infrared ovens. As coronavirus lockdown restrictions begin to lift in the US and employees return to the workplace, the company sought additional measures to reduce airborne transmission of COVID-19 pathogens at both manufacturing facilities.

Consequently each facility installed Soluva Air W (wall-mounted) and Soluva Air M (upper room ceiling-mounted) devices for installation in the reception area, manufacturing production floor, and even on a mobile stand for use in smaller rooms such as conference and training rooms. Food processing plants have similar areas where people work. The Soluva Air M mounts to the ceiling for air disinfection in large manufacturing areas with high ceilings like those often found in food processing and packaging plants. The Soluva Air W mounts easily to the wall or onto a mobile stand for disinfecting air in smaller rooms like breakrooms, meeting and training rooms, offices and reception areas.

CDC guidance confirms the principal transmission mode is through air
Viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms spread through tiny water droplets in the air, so-called aerosols. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its website on May 7 emphasizing air transmission is the principal mode of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, "COVID-19 spreads when an infected person breathes out droplets and very small particles that contain the virus. These droplets and particles can be breathed in by other people or land on their eyes, noses, or mouth. In some circumstances, they may contaminate surfaces they touch. People who are closer than 6 feet from the infected person are most likely to get infected." The CDC’s Scientific Brief about transmission states, “The smallest very fine droplets, and aerosol particles formed when these fine droplets rapidly dry, are small enough that they can remain suspended in the air for minutes to hours.” Soluva air disinfection devices help eliminate the threat of infection from these aerosol particles lingering in the air.

Denny Hartman, Operations Manager at the Gaithersburg facility remarked, “While it is still really important to adhere to social distancing, hand washing and wearing a mask, it is reassuring to see proven technology being used to help protect us while we work.”

Proven and verified UVGI disinfection solution
Soluva UVGI disinfection devices destroy the corona virus, its mutations, and additional viruses (including cold and flu pathogens) by utilizing UV-C, also called ultraviolet germicidal (UVGI), light. UV-C light easily inactivates the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its mutations, because they have a very thin lipid (fat) layer which easily allows the light to penetrate and neutralize the virus immediately. The SARS-CoV-2 viruses, its mutations and additional viruses are destroyed by 99% as verified by testing under real conditions at the German renowned Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics among others. Visit www.soluva.com to learn more.