July 17, 2020
New UV-C applications against COVID-19 must be pursued but require vigilance
Somerset, New Jersey – To meet the increasing demand for new UV-C-based disinfection applications and address associated safety requirements, Signify has contributed to and adopted the UV-C Safety Guidelines published by the Global Lighting Association. The company has applied these guidelines, in conjunction with other applicable standards, to its new range of UV-C disinfection solutions.
Earlier this year, the Global Lighting Association brought industry experts together, and developed guidelines to help users and manufacturers ensure that UV-C technology and products are used safely at all times. These guidelines build on the principles of internationally accepted standards such as IEC 62471, the photobiological safety standard, and they prescribe additional technical and procedural safeguards.
Olivia Qiu
Chief Innovation Officer of Signify
“By adopting the Global Lighting Association guidelines, we provide a further level of confidence in the safe deployment of UV-C technologies. We urge other manufacturers to follow suit and adhere to these new industry guidelines,” she added.
Using standardized irradiance measurements and risk group classifications for UV-C products as the basis, the guidelines provide further requirements for applicable technical safeguards, such as presence detection, controlled access or containment, as well as detailed guidance on the use of warning labels, user manuals and instructional trainings for the safe use of UV-C technology.
On June 16, Signify and the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories at Boston University announced the initial test results of research that validates the effectiveness of Signify’s UV-C light sources on surfaces to inactivate SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in a matter of seconds.
Signify is the global leader in UV-C light sources and has been at the forefront of UV technology for more than 35 years. It has a proven track record of innovation in UV-C lighting, which is designed, manufactured and installed in line with the highest safety standards.
Position Statement on Germicidal UV-C Irradiation: UV-C Safety Guidelines may be downloaded from the Global Lighting Association’s website.1
1: Accessible at: https://www.globallightingassociation.org/library#PositionPapers.
Signify Corporate Communications
Jeannet Harpe-Goor
Tel: +31 6 5372 2221
E-mail: jeannet.harpe@signify.com
Signify US
Beth Brenner
Tel: +1 215 595 3102
E-mail: beth.brenner@signify.com
Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals, consumers and the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. In 2023, we had sales of EUR 6.7 billion, approximately 32,000 employees and a presence in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for seven consecutive years and have achieved the EcoVadis Platinum rating for four consecutive years, placing Signify in the top one percent of companies assessed. News from Signify can be found in the Newsroom, on X, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors is located on the Investor Relations page.