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Mobile technology is infinitely changing and mobiles devices continue to shape our work place. Read about the technology and devices that shape PC Locs solutions, and potentially your working and learning environment.

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UV Disinfection Stations: You Get What You Pay For

19.10.20 by Velsen in Blog, Industry News, Product News

When buying any new product, it can be easy to focus on price instead of value. That’s how many people frequently end up buying things that don’t work or last long. Who hasn’t had flimsy clothing shrink in the wash or a cheap gadget break after a few uses? While shopping for a bargain UV disinfection product is tempting, focusing solely on price and choosing the less expensive item can come at a steep cost.

“It takes good engineering and science to develop UV-C technology correctly.”

There’s a reason why lower quality products are usually cheaper to produce. Dr. Jim Malley, president of the International Ultraviolet Association, explains to WebMD that many people don’t understand how difficult and costly it is to come up with useful and effective UV-C technology. “It takes good engineering and science to develop it correctly. There’s a lot of rubbish out there,” he explains. The bottom line, says Malley, “You get what you pay for.”

If you’re paying very little for an unverified UV-C disinfection station or device, be aware that it may be dangerous as well as ineffective. Don’t be fooled by fraudulent claims of cheap UV sanitisation products that have never been tested. Here’s what to look for when sorting through the rubbish to find an effective professional-grade UV-C station that meets the highest standards and mitigates viral bacteria’s spread.

“Many consumer-grade UV products are fakes that carry the risk of accidental exposure to dangerous ultraviolet light.”

One of the most common consumer-grade UV products is a light wand. We certainly understand the allure of these devices. You can easily find them online, and many claim to kill viruses with a quick wave of a light over a surface. But the problems with design and usability of these readily available products outweigh the potential benefits. This makes them not only a poor value at any price, but also potentially dangerous. Discovery magazine reports, “For starters, many of them are fakes. Others are of such low power that you’d have to hold the device over an item (say, a mask) for 30 minutes to maybe get any disinfection, much less destroy SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. You also risk accidental exposure to dangerous ultraviolet light.”

When the ultraviolet light is not contained, consumer-grade or “home use” portable sterilisers and wands are not considered safe by either the independent safety science company UL or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “UV light may be used to disinfect surfaces in a setting where UV light does not escape to the surroundings.  If products generating UV light do not shield the user from exposure, they pose a potential health hazard depending on the wavelength, intensity, and exposure time,” states the FDA.

How to Compare Professional Grade-UV-C Sanitisation Products

When comparing professional-grade UV-C sanitisation products, durability, effectiveness, certifications, and convenience are all important considerations along with the price. It is also essential to check the number and type of bulbs and how many hours the bulbs last before needing to be replaced. UVone™ Mobile Device Disinfection by PC Locs includes sixteen long-lasting, high-powered UV-C bulbs. In comparison, other manufacturers’ professional-grade disinfection stations may contain as few as six bulbs. In Manual Cycle Mode, UVone users can expect 25,000 hours of bulb life or three million uses. If a bulb burns out, the UVone easy-to-use app provides visibility to see which bulb needs to be changed.

Use the chart below as a checklist when evaluating professional grade disinfection stations. Pay close attention to the documentation that verifies that the device has been through 3rd party lab testing to support the manufacturer’s claims of kill rates and kill times.

Features/Benefits

Consumer Grade

UVone Professional Grade

Other Professional Grade

Number of Bulbs

Most handheld wands include one 36-watt bulb, portable sterilisers may include 2 UV-C lamps

16 high-powered, professional-grade UV-C blubs

Varies by product, may contain as few as 6

Number of Bulb Uses

Consumer products lack information on the number of bulb uses

25,000 hours (3 million uses)

Varies by product, one claims up to one year, another 2,000 hours with average daily use

Testing Data

None

Extensive research from BSL-2 Safety Lab, testing data available upon request

Varies by product, request testing data from the device manufacturer

Certifications

None

CE and ETL Certified

Varies by product, request proper safety certifications from the device manufacturer

Touchless

No

Yes, top-loading with motion-activated open/close door and touchless start

No other professional-grade units are 100% zero-touch with touchless open, close and start

Mountable

Varies by product

Yes, to increase hygiene compliance UVone can be wall or countertop mountable

Varies by product, most are countertop only

Customer Support

No

YES, world-class with an NPS of 97, which competes with some of the largest tech giants

Varies by product

Kill Rate

Most consumer products lack performance data from independent testing labs

MRSA: 99.999% in 30 seconds
C. Diff: 99.99% in 60 seconds and 99.9% in 30 seconds*

Varies by product, from 3-Log reduction to a 6-Log reduction for 12 minutes of kill time

Kill Time

30 minutes for low-power UV light wands to maybe get any disinfection, 10 minutes or more for UV-C sterilisation boxes

30 seconds

Varies by product, from 20 seconds – 12 minutes

For years PC Locs products have been known to save time and make life easier. UVone by PC Locs is no exception. It’s six times quicker than traditional wipes and conveniently integrates into any environment to increase hygiene compliance. Compared with other professional-grade disinfection stations, UVone’s 5-Log reduction in 30 seconds is on par or better than competitors. Also, no other units are 360-degree, 100% zero-touch with touchless open, close and start and come with our unrivalled world-class customer support. Contact us to learn more.

 


*PC Locs’ kill rate claims are based on data conducted by an accredited, GLP compliant, BSL-2 laboratory. Kill rate claims for MRSA at a 5-log kill or 99.999% are based on final GLP testing. Kill rate claims for C. Diff are at a 4-log kill or 99.997% in 60 seconds and a 3-log kill or 99.9% in 30 seconds. C. Diff results are based on final GLP testing. Real world results may vary. Testing data available upon request.

[1] UV Light Wands Are Supposed to Kill Viruses. But Do They Really Work? – Discover Magazine

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