Creating a safer workplace for Abellio Bus London with UV-C lighting

August 23, 2022

Abellio Bus London installs UV-C technology as an added layer of protection from COVID-19 for staff at bus depots

Viruses spread primarily through three vectors:

1. Direct airborne transmission between people – such as a cough or sneeze
2. Indirect airborne transmission through air flows – such as circulated air in a building
3. Indirect surface-borne transmission via contaminated surfaces – picking up an infected phone or piece of cutlery, for example:

One technology attracting interest is ultraviolet C (UV-C) lamps and luminaires.  UV-C as a technology isn't new – it's been used in hospitals and agriculture for decades to disinfect equipment, food and produce. The power of UV-C lighting for disinfection is well known, with applications widely tested since the 1930s and 1940s. UV-C has been used for disinfection purposes across air, surfaces, objects, and water.  With the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an acceleration of interest in this relatively under-sung technology. The technology has proven highly effective against all pathogens tested to date, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19.

At a wavelength of 254 nanometres, the UV-C light inactivates viruses and bacteria by breaking down their DNA and RNA, rendering them harmless. For example, recent research conducted by Boston University shows that more than 99% of the virus that causes Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2) was inactivated after just six seconds of exposure to UV-C light sources.

For more than 35 years, Signify (the former Philips Lighting) has been at the forefront of UV technology and has a proven track record of innovation and strong application expertise in UV-C lighting. Recently, new families of UV-C products have been launched – from fixed and mobile units that disinfect the air in a room, to chambers that disinfect objects, to ceiling and wall-mounted luminaires that disinfect when no one is present.

Abellio operates over 800 buses over London on behalf of Transport for London. The buses carry over 150 million passengers annually, with 2,500 staff working to keep the city moving. Like most businesses, Abellio Bus London wanted to ensure that staff at its bus depots are given the best protection from COVID-19 and other biological threats with reference to those areas in its buildings where natural or effective forced ventilation is either less than optimal or non-existent.

With growing insights that the amount of virus in the air will build up in poorly ventilated rooms, the need for a safe, healthy, and ventilated environment becomes even more crucial. The effectiveness of UV-C on the inactivation of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and other viruses &  bacteria, has been validated through multiple independent tests & studies. Our UV-C and air disinfection solutions offer the highest effectiveness for reducing the spread of airborne viruses & infections. We are proud to work with Powercor and Abellio Bus London to provide an added layer of protection, help keep staff safe and play our part in fighting the pandemic. – Martin Davis, Channel Partner Manager, Signify.

Leading UK lighting and electrical contractor Powercor introduced Abellio to the Philips range of UV-C disinfection devices, where they opted to add an extra layer of protection to key areas in the depots. As a result, Abellio Bus London decided to install the Philips range of UV-C technology across some of their depots to add that added layer of protection.  A total of six depots have installed Philips UV-C disinfection devices to date. Details of a few:

The Control Room in the Twickenham depot: Powercor installed Philips UV-C disinfection active air devices. These wall and ceiling-mounted units use ventilators to pull air from the room into the device, filter it, then submit it to intense disinfection under two 60W UV-C lamps. The clean air then passes out into the room. UV-C is emitted only within the unit itself, so the process can happen continuously in the background, even while people are present in the room.

The training room in Battersea and in the reception area in Walworth: Abellio opted for Philips UV-C disinfection upper-air devices. This wall and ceiling-mounted device make use of specific reflectors and a louvre design to distribute UV-C light at the device level and above. Air is continuously disinfected as it passes through the unit via natural convection, while normal workplace activities continue in the rooms below.

"Abellio Bus chose to install UV-C because we knew it was proven technology- it has been used in a number of different sectors, for decades - so it was the right choice for us. We are certainly seeing staff confidence improve and are looking at data to to inform future installs to include UVC as part of our COVID security strategy going forward"-  John Eardley - Managing Director, Abellio Bus London