UV-C in Education - Hazelwood School: A Uvisan Case Study
Coronavirus has changed the world in many ways. Education has been badly hit, with students out of school for months. Upon their return, one of the main concerns has been how to maintain safe and clean equipment, with so much shared usage between students, risking transmission of a virus that can stay on surfaces for days.
When it comes to sanitisation, schools have limited capacity. Teachers can attempt to sanitise shared equipment in the short interval between classes, or if there is not enough time for cleaning, they can wait at least 72 hours before using equipment, or simply leave the equipment and lock it away until the pandemic is over. The last option was the only one available to Hazelwood School in Surrey. However, they chose to utilise a safer, more effective cleaning alternative in the form of a UV-C cabinet, allowing the students access to the resources they needed for their lessons.
Before purchasing one of our cabinets, Hazelwood School found they were unable to use the iPads required for their classes due to the risk of transmission. This began to hinder teaching, as a there were a number of classes where iPads were crucial to lessons. The school contacted us and received one of our UV-C cabinets, which they now use to safely sanitise and store their school’s regularly used equipment. Now they are able to use their iPads on a regular basis, whilst maintaining their equipment’s safety and cleanliness. This has made the sanitisation of their appliances quick and more effective, minimising teachers’ time spent trying to sanitise shared items, which are now of the utmost safety when they come to be used.
“Ahead of the return to school in September, Hazelwood School purchased a Uvisan UV-C unit so that the bank of iPads, used by its youngest learners, could be readily charged and effectively sanitised as they passed between class bubbles. The unit has been a godsend; protecting the pupils’ health and well-being whilst allowing the same level of digital learning to remain within their timetable. The school avoided the need to buy more costly tablets. The unit is simple to use and has been deployed for the equally important task of sanitising headsets too. The levels of service and communication we received were impeccable meaning that the unit’s delivery was one thing of surety in these uncertain times.”
Nick Tappin - Bursar - Hazelwood School
It is great to hear feedback like this from our customers and now more than ever, it is essential that schools provide a safe and healthy learning environment for their pupils. A huge part of this involves having the proper resources at students’ disposal. Students have already spent many months without access to the proper materials and environment that a school has to offer, and ‘not having access to resources and materials with which to learn’ can cause ‘subsequent detrimental effect on both academic attainment and wellbeing.’ – Charlotte Watson, YoungMinds. Of course, with access to regular sanitisation, this should no longer be the case now that students are back at school.
However, it is already difficult managing the availability of devices and resources in a school, without adding the need for constant sanitising of all equipment that a school may need to use in the midst of a pandemic. As well as ensuring students and staff are following safe etiquette and guidelines, the responsibility of sanitising all of the many shared items can be overwhelming. The UV-C cabinet removes the issue of time-consuming cleaning routines along with the need for expensive wipes and cleaning equipment that would be required in such large quantities to keep every class safe. This form of sanitisation also avoids the problem of moisture getting into charging ports, screens, keys and other openings on electrical appliances. Not to mention, the effectiveness of cleaning paraphernalia such as wipes can be unreliable (read here for more detail). In contrast, UV-C cabinets provide simultaneous charging and sanitising with no need for fluids or chemicals, keeping sensitive equipment safe.
In addition to tablets, our cabinets can also be used to clean other items that are critical to school lessons such as keyboards, headphones, laptops, computer mice, even stationary and musical instruments and the charging appliances for electronic devices. Also, with a charging capability for up to 100 devices, electronic items are always be ready for use.
Our cabinets also offer a great solution for items which require a fast turnaround. For instance, if there’s a lesson straight after the previous class that will need to use the same equipment, the UV-C cabinet uses a cleaning cycle of just 5 minutes and kills 99.99% of bacteria in that time, ensuring that all appliances are available for each new class. It is scientifically proven that UV-C kills all of the bacteria, spores, viruses, protozoans, moulds and yeasts, using medical grade UV-C lamps, meaning that both teachers and students can feel confident using shared equipment. The cabinets are also lockable, keeping valuable items safe and secure.
The UV-C cabinets are able to store a range of other appliances and equipment, including phones, laptops, tablets, toys & games, VR headsets, peripherals and accessories, plus UVISAN is 100% recyclable, with no waste going to landfill and finance is available from £100 per month.
These cabinets have helped staff and students alike and can be used in many different environments and capacities. They have fitted seamlessly into a school environment, saving the school time and money, whilst ensuring a safe environment with access to all of the resources and teaching aids to help students through their schooling.
