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With more ultraviolet sterilisers and lamps being widely available to consumers and many countries worldwide using ultraviolet (UV-C) light to fight COVID-19, it is very important to know what are the necessary features to look out for when choosing a safe and effective ultraviolet steriliser to use on your premises.
Feature 1 - Safety sensors to prevent UV radiation and exposure
Many ultraviolet sterilisers and lamps marketed for household use do not have any motion safety sensors to cut off the light when there are people in the area ie. table desk lamps, household UV lamps with no motion sensors, ultraviolet handheld portable wands, ultraviolet disinfection boxes, etc.
An article from NEA has mentioned that many household use ultraviolet sterilisers sold on online platforms like Qoo10, Shopee, Alibaba, EzBuy, Lazada etc. do not have the appropriate safety features in place to ensure safety of the user and the surrounding people around the steriliser, causing exposure to UV radiation.
Exposure to UVC radiation due to inappropriate use or unsafe sterilisers can cause serious eye or skin injuries.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) advises households not to use disinfection sterilisers based on UVC radiation technology. Many such sterilisers marketed for home use lack safety features that protect users from unintended or accidental exposure to UV radiation.
Feature 2 - Internal surfaces of the steriliser must be reflective for effective sterilisation
For effective sterilisation, the internal surfaces must be made of a reflective surface ie. aluminum, metal or stainless steel material so as to properly reflect all ultraviolet light onto the items being placed inside the steriliser.
If the internal surfaces are non-reflective ie. plastic / cloth like the examples below, it is ineffective in sterilising all the items placed inside the steriliser.
Only the items directly below the ultraviolet light will be sterilised and not the items stacked or placed below it, due to its non-reflective surfaces ie. plastic and cloth.
Internal surfaces of the steriliser must be reflective like the examples below for effective sterilisation
Feature 3 - Ultraviolet (UV-C) lamps in the steriliser must be facing downwards
It is important that lamps should be installed on the top of the steriliser, facing downwards and NOT facing directly outwards.
This is to ensure that the user's eyes are protected and are not seeing the ultraviolet rays directly as this will cause eye injuries.
Feature 4 - Should not have Ozone emission feature
There are some ultraviolet sterilisers that have ozone emission feature. However, this is dangerous to humans, especially to children, the elderly and people with existing lung diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
When inhaled, ozone can damage the lungs. Relatively low amounts of ozone can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath and, throat irritation. It may also worsen chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma as well as compromise the ability of the body to fight respiratory infections.
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