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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 20) – Robotic Activations has apologized after a demonstration of its ultraviolet (UV) light disinfection robot in Baguio city on Saturday left several people with eye irritation.
Five to ten people, including members of the media, reportedly required some medical treatment due to exposure to ultraviolet light.
“We honestly thought we had taken enough precautions when the press asked to turn on the robot, but it turns out we didn’t,” Camille Anton, the company’s head of business development, said on Sunday.
Anton said they are already updating their protocols to ensure the incident does not happen again. He also assured that the use of UV disinfection is safe as long as proper precautions are taken.
Robotic Activations showed “Keno”, their UV-C disinfection robot, at the Baguio Convention Center before the CODE team of the National Working Group. It is designed to kill harmful pathogens and is allegedly “equipped with state-of-the-art safety and precision sensors.” The company added that the machine can disinfect large areas “without human exposure to chemicals.”
“The discomfort from UV exposure is real, but it is supposed to be temporary, by all accounts. We are still in contact with those affected to make sure this is the case,” Anton said. “We have contacted them, we have apologized and offered them assistance, and we are hopeful that they will recover quickly.”
Both the World Health Organization and the Department of Health have warned against the use of disinfectant UV lamps amid the threat of COVID-19. Health officials said ultraviolet light can have harmful effects if not used correctly, including burns to the eyes and skin.
DOH also warned against disinfectant sprays, saying they can “aerosolize” or spread droplets into the air. He said that it is better to manually clean surfaces with a carpet and disinfectant to kill the virus.
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