SPECIAL REPORT


senior advisor to GOJO Industries. According to Yeomans, school transpor-


tation operations should keep buses clean by purchasing safe disinfectants, focusing on disinfecting high-touch surfaces, plac- ing cleaning sprays, sanitizer and wipes on each bus (where allowed), and educating staff through how-to-guides and posters about hygiene. “Not all hand sanitizers are the same,” com-


mented Yeomans. “Unfortunately, there are still many generic, unproven hand sanitizers available on store shelves, likely at discount prices as they will be expiring soon.” Meanwhile, United Safety & Survivability


Corporation has conducted education ses- sions in hundreds of school districts to raise awareness for cleaning the air inside school buses and eliminating bacterial pathogens. The company distributes the AEGIS Microbe Shield, a liquid antimicrobial that forms a protective coating on surfaces to kill bacterial pathogens and microbes. “Federal grant money will go away, so school professionals need to research prod- ucts for maintaining the life of the bus. The biggest concern is that cleaning products are safe for students,” said National Sales Man- ager Ken Hedgecock, who also speaks about pandemic air purification and cleaning at school transportation conferences. But not all are convinced cleaning


solutions are the way to go. Waypoint Aero- nautical Corporation, which traditionally has provided engineering solutions to the aviation industry, claims the popularity of labor-intensive use of chemicals is waning. “What we are seeing now in the market- place is the labor-intensive use of chemicals is losing its popularity,” commented Robert Olson, president and CEO of Waypoint. “It was fine in the beginning of the pandemic to use chemicals, but now the school bus man- agers are finding that it is expensive—hours and hours of labor used to spray this stuff on and wipe it off.” He noted that cleaners could harm seat


cushions and plastics in the bus, and some products could be harmful to the health of bus passengers or staff. Instead, the compa- ny advocates a long-term solution via the Viralite UV lighting system, which Waypoint and Hubbell Lighting originally invented for commercial aircrafts. Waypoint now holds the license to install the system in school


20 School Transportation News • FEBRUARY 2022


buses, and it is safe for use with passengers on board because the 405 nm violet-blue light used falls outside of the UV band of light, Olson explained. “They use it very successfully in hos-


pitals and see 70 percent less infections,” he added. “To get after the COVID, we set up the UVc light at 280nm as we can get LED lights that are high quality [and] long lasting with little energy draw. We use the bus batteries to power at night using just a very small amount of power. The timer is preset for 2 hours so we can get to all of the exposed surfaces that the COVID and all viruses would settle on. The science is to measure the amount of light energy that is placed on the surface that will disable the virus—the intensity of the light for a specif- ic period of time.” It not kills only the SARS-CoV-2 virus that


causes COVID-19 but also the flu virus, mold and other bacteria, the company claims. Olson said there is a one-time cost to


install and then the system is virtually free to operate for the next 10 years. “No labor cost, just turning on a switch,” he shared.


Turning to Government Agencies for Advice Federal agencies offer an abundance of


free educational materials for identifying the safest cleaning products and practicing the most effective cleaning during the pandemic. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agen-


cy offers website content about disinfecting processes and a “List N” tool for searching EPA-approved products that kill all coronavi- rus variants. The Centers for Disease Control and


Prevention posted the free information for effective, regular cleaning. The agen- cy gives information for transit operators on how to disinfect areas safely in several scenarios, such as when someone is sick or no longer sick. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration


(FDA) website also provides information on more than 270 hand sanitizers that have been deemed unsafe. The website has a “do not use” product list and information about sanitizer product recalls. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health


Administration provides guidance and online tools to better understand temporary stan- dards in protecting workers against risks. ●


What to Avoid with Hand Sanitizers


GOJO Industries, maker of Purell, advises student transporters to steer clear of any product with less than 60 percent ethyl alcohol or less than 70 percent isopropyl alcohol. It also warns against using products sold without original packaging or appropriate labeling. Also be on the lookout for expired products, which is


typically 2 to 3 years after the manufacture date. Reference the Food and Drug Administration “do not use” list for other products that are not worth your money. Other red flags are poor product consistency, stickiness, an odd smell, or anything that irritates skin.

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