Lind Equipment is retooling its manufacturing facility to help disinfect hospitals and PPE
By Bill Tremblay
With the COVID-19 pandemic causing shortages of PPE worldwide, Lind Equipment is shifting its focus from jobsites to healthcare.
The Markham, Ontario-based LED jobsite lighting company is retooling its manufacturing capabilities to create UV-C lights, which may be used to decontaminate personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as hospital rooms and ambulances.
“We specialized in equipment for the toughest workplaces: mining, tunnelling, construction, oil refineries and more,” said Dina Panos, marketing specialist at Lind Equipment. “Now the tables have turned, and the healthcare workers on the frontlines of this pandemic are in the toughest workplace.”
PPE, particularly N95 masks, are in short supply right now and the situation is not improving. As a remedy to the shortage, Canada’s Chief Public Health Office as well as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States, have approved the re-use of PPE, if specific decontamination methods are used.
UV-C lighting is one of three decontamination methods approved.
UV-C light is an ultraviolet light that is germicidal, meaning it can kill the RNA within pathogens and render them unable to regenerate. It is a proven method to assist with the decontamination process of hospital rooms, and has been used to clean rooms for decades prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“We could not just stand by and not do our part to help during this pandemic,” said Brian Astl, president of Lind Equipment.
RELATED: Lind Equipment creates the LED Jobsite
“We want to help the frontline workers in any way possible. That is why we came out with this UV-C lighting solution. If there are people you think that can benefit from UV-C lighting to decontaminate their PPE, please, tell them to reach out. We are here to help.”
Lind Equipment is not traditionally a UV-C lighting company. However, like N95 masks, the current supply of UV-C lights globally is nowhere near enough to help in the fight against COVID-19.
“We never had a goal to work in the healthcare sector, in fact we were the farthest thing from it,” Panos said.
Retooling for UV-C
For the new germicidal product line, Lind Equipment has created the Apollo UV-C Light, which is designed to hang from a ceiling.
As well, the company is retooling its Beacon360 Blaze area light, which mounts on a stand.
The lights will follow the requirements of the University of Nebraska protocol, which establishes a standard method for decontaminating PPE.
“We have set up the proper precautions in our warehouse to ensure everyone’s safety while manufacturing the new Lind Apollo light and working with UV-C LED lighting chips,” Panos said.
The lights are expected to be available in early May. Priority will be given to emergency services, hospitals or other service in need of decontaminated environments or gear.
“Since we have no previous stock of these products we will be working hard to keep up with the demand and previous orders that have come through,” Panos said.
