Airport adds LED sanitizers to anti-virus practices

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/08/2020 (2257 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In the latest of an ever-expanding list of sanitization practices being implemented in Winnipeg’s high-traffic spaces, the city’s main airport now has LED handrail sterilizers.

The LED UV-C handrail is the first of its kind to be installed by Otis Canada – an elevator company – in Winnipeg. The sterilizer, which is installed at the main escalator in the arrivals hall at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, utilizes ultraviolet wavelengths and mirror-like side reflectors to sanitize the handrails as they pass through it.

“Every flyer, every traveller travelling domestically within Canada, would be going down this escalator and this set of stairs as they arrived at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport,” airport communications specialist Michel Rosset said.

“So, we want to make sure that everyone who enters the terminal, everyone that arrives at Winnipeg, feels safe and has that level of confidence.”

This is not the first piece of technology installed by the airport to keep up with expanded hygiene practices — cleaning staff now utilize an electric static sprayer, which mists a fine disinfectant that clings to surfaces, and there are “enhanced cleaning” icons around the airport, meant to distinguish which high-traffic areas are being subject to more extensive cleaning.

While Rosset did not state the cost of implementing these measures, he noted the airport has taken steps to mitigate the financial impact of COVID-19.

“We’ve turned down lights where no longer needed, we adjust temperatures so it’s more energy-efficient,” he said. “We’re always looking at ways to mitigate the cost because it’s no secret that COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the air travel industry.”

The handrail UV sanitizer is a relatively new technology — they were first introduced by LG Innotek in 2017 — but using UV-C light to kill germs and bacteria is an increasingly popular practice. In China, buses are hit with ultraviolet radiation after-hours to disinfect them, and personal UV-sanitizing devices have become widely available for purchase as people look for more convenient ways to sanitize products.

However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned that while UV-C radiation may be effective in killing the COVID-19 virus, the level of effectiveness is unknown due to the “limited published data about the wavelength, dose, and duration of UV-C radiation required” and the World Health Organization has warned against using UV rays to disinfect skin, as it can cause irritation and eye damage.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: malakabas_