As many parts of the world go back into lockdown due to renewed COVID-19 infection rates, consumers will need to remain vigilant when doing ordinary activities such as grocery shopping. As such, Signify is hoping to help with the installation of UV-C disinfection lighting systems that can help protect both grocery store employees and shoppers.
The EDEKA Clausen market in Hamburg, Germany, is the first grocer in the country to install these UV-C disinfection lighting solutions. Signify installed 31 Phillips upper air luminaires to cover the grocery store that is one-fourth the size of a football field. The store will also start using a Philips BioShift UV-C disinfection chamber.
The UV-C lighting breaks down the DNA or RNA of micro-organisms, including viruses and bacteria, rendering them harmless. The UV-C lamps emit a peak of radiation at 254 nm, which is considered near the peak wavelength for germ deactivation. This means that the lighting can disinfect air, surfaces and objects. The BioShift disinfection chamber is used to disinfect objects and shared devices such as handheld scanners and registers.
The upper air luminaires are installed at a height of 3.2 m to 3.5 m on columns and walls and are equipped with shielding and optics to prevent exposure to UV-C radiation. The lighting disinfects the air that flows through the grocery store and into the upper areas of the store and the disinfected air flows back to the lower part of the store via circulation.
