The atomising and making airborne of fine droplets of disinfectant can be used to sterilise vast workplaces in the fight against the spread of Covid-19, says explosion suppression, automatic fire suppression and dust suppression systems supplier, as well as sanitisation solutions provider, Explospot.

In fighting Covid-19 and ensuring workplaces are safe for employees, Explospot CEO Arend Späth explains the importance of understanding the virus. “Covid-19 is not a living organism. It is DNA packaged in an envelope, and when that envelope is broken the virus is made inactive and can no longer spread.”

Explospot provides various solutions for workplace bulk sanitising, including mist dispensers, spraying devices, walk-through spray tunnels and disinfectants.

Proving popular since the outbreak of Covid-19 in South Africa, Explospot’s indoor turbines, which atomise and distribute disinfectant using powerful fans and high-pressure nozzles, have been successfully used in warehouses and factories to make disinfecting liquid airborne, thereby sanitising vast areas for up to 18 hours per application.

These turbines create a fine mist, made up of tiny droplets of between 10 µ and 30 µ. “This mist settles on all surfaces, cleaning it of bacteria, viruses and fungi,” he notes.

The spray nozzles create a dry mist and, as a result of the sedimentation speed of the atomised disinfectant, the droplets have the ability to penetrate hidden corners.

Späth states that the atomisation of the disinfectant solution is what sets Explospot’s products apart from that of its competitors, adding that another advantage is that the turbine creates a dry mist, “so there won’t be wet floors or moisture getting into sensitive equipment or ruining stock”.

The disinfectant used – ERSA – in Explospot products is water-based and requires dilution with water at a ratio of 0.66% to water, “thereby being efficient”, he says.

ERSA is certified according to test procedures meeting the guidelines of EN ISO 1276: 2009. Among others, it has been certified to kill Covid-19, influenza A, severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome within 30 seconds. It can also kill E.coli and three strains of staphylococcus within 120 seconds.

The ERSA disinfectant is biocompatible, meaning it will not harm human skin or cause irritation, is nontoxic, odourless and colourless and does not require personal protective equipment to be used in the application process.

Späth says it also does not affect electronic equipment and therefore can be used in communal areas and offices. “Other disinfectants are based on very aggressive chemicals, such as chlorine and alcohol. ERSA can also be disposed of in a regular drain as it will not release any toxins or negative reactions.”

The disinfectant lasts on surfaces for 18 hours and when dispensed through a turbine, seeps into hard-to-reach places, such as cervices and hidden corners.

Explospot offer two types of turbines, the V12SO indoor turbine and the V12S outdoor turbine.

The V12SO indoor turbine has a disinfectant throwing distance of 50 m, and uses 12 dry-mist nozzles to dispense as much as 4 ℓ a minute through a working pressure of 70 bar. The turbine unit operates at low noise levels of 63 dB and has the ability to swivel through 360^o and can be controlled remotely.

Using the V12SO indoor turbine for five minutes can treat an area of 5 500 m².

The V12S outdoor turbine can be used to disinfect outdoor equipment, such as children’s play areas, parks and stockpiles. It uses 70 bar pressure to throw disinfectant between 25 m and 65 m, based on the speed of the fan. Its water use is between 16 ℓ and 100 ℓ a minute.

The indoor turbine, in particular, brings the added benefit that it will supress any dust present at the time of application.

In addition to the turbines, Explospot also offers a mobile backpack unit that can be carried by an individual to spray smaller items or confined spaces and is otherwise easier to transport to multiple locations.

The mobile backpack unit features a harness-mounted 6 ℓ pressurised cylinder, similar to a scuba diving air tank and has a throw distance of 1 m. Its water use is only 0.076 ℓ a minute, thereby enabling it to be used constantly for 1.6 hours.

It is also made using a compound fibre, similar to fire fighting equipment, thereby making it safe to use in underground mining environments where aluminium is banned.

Explospot also provides spray tunnels for mass entry and exit points. Employees pass through the tunnel upon entering and or exiting the work place to be sanitised.

The mass entry and exit spray tunnel also uses a working pressure of 70 bar to dispense 0.5 ℓ a minute, producing a droplet size of between 10 µ and 30 µ.

It can be automatically activated using a passive infrared sensor to detect movement and is modular in design, thereby enabling the client to specify the appropriate size required for its workforce. The tunnel can also be used to disinfect items that can easily fit into it, such as bags and mobile devices.

Späth notes that the tunnels use about 18 ml of disinfectant per person.