Neil Brown, technical director of Birmingham-based Hygiene Group, a UK supplier of contract cleaning services, outlines the benefits of a virtually water-free disinfectant system, ideal for use in food factories, pharmaceutical facilities and hospitals.
Traditionally, fogging systems have been aqueous based, but the new Biomist system being offered by the Hygiene Group applies a specially formulated, alcohol-based disinfectant via an atomised spray, delivering rapid disinfection and drying in applications ranging from food production facilities to pharmaceutical factories and hospitals.
The system consists of a wheeled trolley containing a canister of liquid carbon dioxide, which is heated and then pumped to the nozzle where it helps to deliver a ‘plume’ of disinfectant. This plume expands as it moves away from the nozzle, ensuring enhanced penetration of hard-to-reach areas and complex geometries.
Simple twist controls on the gun adjust both the throw and the size and shape of the plume, making it easy to ensure thorough coverage and penetration, with minimum overspray and wastage. The CO2 also solves the traditional question of how safe alcohols are when sprayed; the plume will actually extinguish flames – just as with any CO2 fire extinguisher.
The combination of alcohol and three quaternary ammonium compounds (quats) provides both immediate results and a long-lasting, residual kill of unwanted organisms, such as MRSA. Here in the UK, the company offers a second disinfectant that has been shown to be effective in killing Clostridium Difficile spores, which are traditionally hard to remove. The food research organisation Campden BRI (formerly Campden & Chorleywood) will be evaluating the system to verify its effectiveness.
No rinsing is required, making the system ideal for environments where unwanted water can create problems, such as facilities which produce chocolate, cereals or cooked meats, or even for use on fabrics, switch gear or other electrical equipment.
The product has undergone extensive testing in the US, where it has been credited with a role in reducing the spread of MRSA in hospitals. It is already used extensively in both the US and Japan in the food and hospital sectors.
The system has several advantages over traditional, low-pressure application systems, which use significantly higher volumes and typically create very wet surfaces. High-pressure systems can deliver a fine spray but also create undesirable aerosols that can drift or be inhaled. With Biomist, the CO2 contains the atomised disinfectant within the plume, delivering superior coverage with minimal product volumes while preventing drift.
It is similar to a mini fogging device but unlike whole room fogging, which is based on an aqueous system and thus the mist falls to the floor rather than staying in the air, the CO2 creates a dry fog. Because the CO2 expands, the system provides more effective cleaning in difficult-to-reach places, such as holes in equipment or back spaces.
The system is already being used for the direct application to surfaces in facilities of fresh and cooked food processors and Kelloggs in the US is using the systems on some chocolate cereal production lines. It is also being used on patient touch surfaces in US Veteran Affairs (VA) hospitals.
The system can be used routinely for post-production cleaning and also on deep cleans. It is proving particularly useful for cleaning air handling units or overheads, where the device provides better coverage and the alcohol in the spray disperses any water and prevents the growth of fungus.
Currently the system is offered as a specialist tool in the Hygiene Group’s cleaning service, but the company is also investigating the option of selling the machines in future.
This investment by the Hygiene Group exemplifies the company’s continued drive to investigate and acquire state-of-the-art technology that enhances the consistency of its operations and the results delivered to clients. The company is actively looking to expand its offering in areas such as infection control and clearly this is a system with great potential for that.
Contact Neil Brown, The Hygiene Group M: 07825 057567 www.hygiene.co.uk