Bus air cleaning ‘world first’ at Warrington

Operator thought to be first in the world with air cleaning device

Warrington’s Own Buses is thought to be the first bus company in the world to install air cleaning devices across its entire operational bus fleet. The technology has been installed to protect its drivers from the risk of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19).

The company has installed 86 AirLabs AirBubbl air cleaning devices in the driver cabins of its buses. According to AirLabs, the devices filter over 95% of airborne viruses and contaminated particulate matter and floods the vehicle with over 30,000 litres of clean air every hour, to keep drivers safe. It creates a personal air space for every seat.

The 86 AirBubbl units have been installed in Warrington’s Own Buses entire active fleet, as part of the company’s ‘five steps to safer working’ approach to public and driver safety.

London-based AirLabs has received a $100,000 grant from Barclays and Unreasonable Impact to bring its COVID-19-response AiroSafe technology to market. The company aims to install the first passenger protection units with partners by October, having worked closely with the rail and bus sector over recent months to develop the technology.

Stephen Stringer, Head of Engineering at Warrington’s Own Buses, said: “The priority for us is to protect the health and safety of our employees, who provide an essential service, and of course for our customers, the people of Warrington.

“By installing the AirBubbl devices we’re ensuring that we can reduce the risk of exposure for our staff, who have done a fantastic job in serving Warrington during this crisis.”

A group of over 200 scientists wrote to the World Health Organization last week to call for greater acknowledgement of the role of airborne spread of COVID-19 and the need for governments to implement control measures. In response, members of the World Health Organization’s technical committee have said that ‘evidence is emerging’ around the airborne transmission of the virus and that they are working on publishing a scientific brief on the topic.

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