Church Cottage in Wall, Northumberland
Case Study
At the start of the COVID pandemic many hospitality property owners were faced with a sudden requirement to ensure their guests and staff were safe & protected, as best as they could, from this deadly virus. Church Cottage is a traditional stone cottage, which is used as a self-catering holiday let based near Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland. Following the issued Government guidance on Coronavirus at the time, Jane Michie, owner of Church Cottage, invested heavily in PPE, additional cleaning products for high touch points and also a fogging system to decontaminate between visits and aid in the cleaning of the soft furnishings.
Jane is the a privileged position of being an experienced healthcare professional, as well as being the owner and manager of Church Cottage in Wall, Northumberland. She was keen to avoid unnecessary chemicals as she knew the damage chemical based disinfectants and cleaning systems can have on the environment as well as the building and furnishings in her cottage, so in May 2020 she wisely chose a chemical and toxic free electrolysed fogging system that would support her Covid secure requirements ready to open up after the first lock down.
Jane comments “I felt secure I was doing the best for my guests and also protecting myself and my cleaning staff who manage the property. What I didn’t realise was the effect a water based fogging system would have even when there is no chemical solution. After a few months of using it, the water residue was building up on the walls, soft furnishings and metals. Rust was starting to appear. I also found the machine a little temperamental which was annoying to manage. Although I had successfully protected guests and staff, I was starting to damage my cottage and furnishings which worried me. I knew this wasn't a long term solution, and I needed to find an alternative”.
Fast forward to November 2020, Jane joined the HOST conference and listened intently to a panel of experts, lead by Deborah Heather from Quality in Tourism, discuss sanitisation at scale. A concept of chemical and moisture free air purification called AIRsteril was discussed, provided by experienced infection control company CorrMed.
Jane and many others had the opportunity to learn how the Calcot Collection of hotels had deployed the CorrMed AIRsteril units which were designed to be chemical free, moisture free and run 24/7 in a room, rather than only protecting between guest visits. The units have been used for years in the healthcare environment, protecting vulnerable residents of care homes and were ideal for use in hospitality settings.
Jane contacted CorrMed who undertook a complete site survey of her property, ensuring that each room had the correct air purification units for their use and size. One size doesn't fit all: for a professional air purification installation, consideration needs to be made for air flow, contamination levels and the room function which all have an impact on results. Within a week, Jane had the full property evaluation complete and the AIRsteril units were installed shortly after.
As lockdown lifts once more and preparations are made for the 2021 season, Jane and Church Cottage has the confidence that guests, property and the environment are all being protected with a long term solution. The units are installed, running silently in the background. No longer does she have to fill up tanks of water, spray down rooms and worry about protecting guests mid stay, as the CorrMed AIRsteril technology does it all for her. The AIRsteril technology has been fully tested by the Health Protection Agency and Leeds University, proving its ability to kill up to 99.9% of virus and bacteria.
Jane comments: "I have invested in websites, air purification and 360 virtual tours all to help my reopening. However it is the air purification provided by CorrMed that is commented on in my bookings. One recent new booking commented 'I feel a little nervous travelling after all this time, but the air purification at Church Cottage certainly reassures me,'. This is by far the best cleaning and marketing I have invested in, and considering the cost is less than a single week booking, it has already given me a great return".
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AIRSTERIL IN ACTION: CALCOT COLLECTION
Case Study
The Calcot Collection of Hotels has introduced air sterilisation throughout the collection, following an initial pilot with the housekeeping team at the Barnsley House Hotel.
As part of a desire to go the ‘extra mile’ and provide 24/7 protection to guests and staff, the trial initially included a mobile decontamination system to provide enhanced cleaning to the bedrooms as they were turned over each day, as well as daytime air and surface sterilisation in the gym whilst guests enjoyed a work out.
They also used the system to provide overnight sterilisation of the main public bars and restaurants, thus ensuring the air was sterilised in advance of the morning breakfast guests.
In light of the recent medical studies on air conditioning spreading Covid-19 and the recommendation to ventilate rooms, the group decided to deploy the smaller silent running units into each of their spa rooms where the ventilation was a challenge. The enhanced air and surface cleaning with no unnecessary chemicals resonated with both staff and guests alike.
Executive housekeeper Olive Hannah says;
“The technology is marvellous. I was sceptical at first, thinking this would be a machine with chemicals and how it would corrode our buildings, fabrics, and materials. We take such care to manage our buildings, some of which are grade II listed, we were so thrilled to find a chemical free system. What was an added bonus, is that AIRsteril also eliminates unpleasant odours. Sometimes we struggle to turnover a room to the standards we expect if a child has been ill or similar events have caused offensive odours. Now with the AIRsteril system that CorrMed provide, we no longer have this problem as within a couple of hours all is cleansed and the rooms is fresh as the country air outside.”
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ENDOSCOPY DISINFECTION UNIT AND PERACETIC ACID VAPOUR
Case Study
Endoscopy Disinfection Unit use AIRsteril on Peracetic acid vapour
After a few hours: "a feeling of clean fresh air, no eye or breathing irritation, no headaches, altogether a nicer place to work..."
The Problem
In the Endoscopy Disinfection units at Epsom & St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, a problem with air quality has persisted. As the AER (Automatic Endoscopy Reprocessor) doors opened and closed throughout the day, peracetic acid (used as disinfectant for the endoscopes) vapour levels increased cumulatively within the unit. This caused some discomfort for AER operators. Peracetic acid vapour can be irritating to the eyes, mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, and skin in humans after exposure to concentrations as low as 15.6 mg peracetic acid/m3 (5 parts per million) for only 3 min.
The Solution
Previously in healthcare settings, PCO (Photo Catalytic Oxidization) has been used to eliminate mould, bacteria, and viruses in the air, these devices also eliminate toxic gas VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) pollutants including formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and odours like ammonia from the air. Following a trial the Trust purchased a number of Airsteril Photo Catalytic air purifiers.
The result
After only a few hours with the devices in use the air quality in the Endoscopy Disinfection Units improved significantly, operators expressed satisfaction at experiencing a feeling of clean fresh air, no eye or breathing irritation, no headaches, altogether a nicer place to work.
How the technology works
Photo Catalytic Devices use catalyst assisted UVC light wavelengths to produce hydroxyl radicals and super-oxide ions, hydroxyl radicals are among the most powerful oxidizers in the world. Bacteria Viruses and Volatile organic compounds such as peracetic acid vapour are held together by carbon-carbon, carbon-oxygen or carbon-hydrogen bonds. Oxidizers destroy these bonds and fragment the molecule into smaller harmless compounds
Testimonial
“I am delighted with the performance of the AirSteril Units and appreciate greatly the professionalism and subject matter expertise demonstrated by the AirSteril Team. The “plug and play” PCO devices are virtually maintenance free, they have made an almost immediate effect on the quality of the working environment for our Endoscopy Disinfection Unit staff” “From a Health & Safety and Decontamination perspective this a remarkable win-win, air quality is healthier and cleaner containing no bio-aerosols and no particulates greater than 0.001 microns which is far superior to HEPA filtration, these devices are now being used in treatment rooms in NHS Hospitals”
S D Magee
Darren Magee FInstLM ASEE DEngM ASME
Head of Medical Physics & Clinical Engineering
Medical Device Safety Officer MDSO
AP(Decontamination)
Epsom & St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
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COLD, SMELLY CELLAR IN GRADE II LISTED PUB IS REINVIGORATED
Case Study
The Bell & Cross pub is an award-winning grade two listed pub in picturesque Worcestershire. The building has been sympathetically renovated to retain its charm and history, but it kept a smelly secret – the cellar.
Most cellars are typically damp and cold but this one had a very unfortunate smell, one that occasionally penetrated the upstairs airspace and thus became an unacceptable inhabitant. Pub owner, Joe Tansley had tried everything to rid the smell from the cellar space; deep cleaning, chemical cleans, jet washing and constant air freshener. None of which had worked and left Joe feeling frustrated and unsure what to try next.
CorrMed was recommended to Joe, with the suggestion that their air purification system, AIRsteril may be just the solution he needed. We talked to Joe and discussed the options available to him. We installed the AIRsteril MultiFlex as it is the best option for high odour areas. Within a matter of hours Joe noticed that the smell was notably less and after just two days there was no smell at all.
Initially thinking this must be a coincidence and there is no way such a small and inconspicuous device could do so much in such a short space of time, the team waited for a real test . . . some wet weather.
The AIRsteril unit did not let them down and after torrential storms over a weekend the cellar did not smell, not at all.
Joe says, “After meeting Katie, I was confident the product could work but was sceptical as to how much it would dissipate the smell. I have to say the product is incredible and I wouldn’t stop in recommending it to anyone. 3 years headache taken away!”
AIRsteril is a proactive air purification system, scientifically proven to:
- kill 99.9% of germs and viruses in the air and on surfaces
- reduce absenteeism in offices
- reduce cross-infection and cross-contamination
- eliminate odours, both naturally occurring, and chemical based
- control mould, fungi, and spores in the building
- prolong the life of carpets and furnishing through reduced cleaning needs.
If you are looking to improve air quality, reduce illnesses and the risk of viruses and germs, or eliminate odours, installing an AIRsteril is one of the most efficient ways to do it.
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