It has proved to be difficult to manage the spread of Covid-19 in South Africa. Some of the most effective countermeasures are to sanitise, wear masks, socially distance and, where Covid cases are found, isolate. But there is another tool that can assist in our fight against the pandemic.

The key issue that has been associated with the spread of infections, even from Ancient Greece times, is hygiene.* Dr Kgosi Letlape, the executive director of Tshepang Trust and president of the African Medical Association, says: “It’s a long-known phenomenon that no matter what happens, it is important to keep your environment clean. UVC technology has been used extensively for many years, however, tragedy has inspired people to come up with more discoveries. They’ve now been able to bring us to a wavelength of ultra-violet light that will be able to do the job of efficient disinfecting without harming humans.”

After identifying a gap in the market created by Covid-19 and the importance of safe sanitisation, FAR UVC Africa opened its doors in South Africa last year. The company provides human-safe far-UVC 222 nanometre sanitising-light technology products that actively combat airborne diseases (including Covid-19) in various environments.

The company has received certification from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research for this ground-breaking sanitation lighting technology system.

“Our technology offers a one-of-a-kind real-time air and surface sanitation solution. No other product is able to effectively kill SARS-Cov-2, and all other pathogens and bacteria, in the air and on surfaces of occupied spaces with the speed and effectiveness of far-UVC,” says Conrad Kullmann, managing director of FAR UVC Africa.

“Far-UVC light, unlike UV-C light, does not penetrate the skin or eyes, making it 100% safe for humans and animals alike.”

Designed and assembled in South Africa for the South African market, far-UVC uses an imported built-in technology that has been used for many years by the healthcare industry to destroy superbugs in hospitals. It works by causing the physical destruction of viral, bacterial and fungal cells in a matter of seconds.

“We are determined to help curb the spread of the coronavirus by distributing the far-UVC lighting technology and finding ways to provide a ‘safe zone’ in public and private spaces where the South African public cannot avoid going,” says Kullmann.

This technology offers a low-maintenance long-term sanitisation solution for businesses and intimate or enclosed public spaces, including hospitals, healthcare centres and healthcare transportation as well as the transportation industry as a whole.

“We cannot deny that Covid-19 has caused tremendous pressure on the healthcare and transportation industry because it is not always possible to socially distance in medical centres, inside healthcare vehicles, buses, taxis and trains; and the amount of ventilation available is not always sufficient to exterminate viruses,” says Kullmann.

“By using far-UVC light sanitising technology, it’s possible to disinfect the whole body within eight seconds, while providing everyone with the peace of mind of knowing that they are safe and protected.”

The company provides a finance plan for retailers and business owners who are interested in turning their places of business into a Covid-19 safe zone.

You can read more on this light sanitising technology in the article “Bustin the myths”, in issue 2/2021 of SHEQ Management.

* Dr Letlape’s comments were obtained from South Africa Today. The online news publication’s article “FAR UVC Africa launches with pathogen-safe events” covered the formal launch of FAR UVC Africa in April.

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