Dutch soccer club PSV wants to tackle COVID-19 by installing UV-C disinfection lighting

Dutch football club PSV wants to install UV-C disinfection lighting in the dressing rooms in the Philips Stadium and in some spaces at its training facility De Herdgang. The designated supplier is the global lighting company Signify, which has its headquarters in the same city as PSV: Eindhoven.

Signify recently launched a broad portfolio of luminaires and devices with UV-C disinfection lighting for the professional market. Together with Boston University, the company validated the effectiveness of UV- C light sources in inactivating SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19. In total, Signify will install 15 Philips UV-C disinfection upper air luminaires. Three of those in the dressing room of its own team and three in the dressing room of the visiting team in the Philips stadium. Another five will be installed in the dressing room at PSV Campus De Herdgang and four in the medical section at this training facility.

“Safeguarding player health is very important to us and essential for matches to continue. That is why we want to protect them, and the visiting players, to the best of our ability”, said Frans Janssen, Commercial Director at PSV. “We are convinced that the Philips UV-C disinfection upper air lighting enables us to provide our players with that extra layer of protection.”

Upper air luminaires

UV-C breaks down the DNA or RNA of microorganisms, including viruses and bacteria, thereby rendering them harmless. Signify’s UV-C lamps emit a peak of radiation at 254 nm, which is near the peak wavelength for germ deactivation, and therefore ideal for disinfecting air, surfaces, and objects, the company says. UV-C light can be very dangerous, but the UV-C disinfection upper air luminaires can be used with people present, Signify claims. “They continuously disinfect the air that flows through the upper areas of the dressing rooms thanks to natural convection, or air circulation. This also ensures that the disinfected air flows back to the lower part of the dressing rooms and mixes with the air. Philips UV-C disinfection upper air luminaires are equipped with shielding and optics to prevent exposure to UV-C radiation, so players can get changed without any concern.”

Signify is experiencing a growing demand for disinfection methods from a wide array of organizations. “UV-C lighting helps to disinfect the air, surfaces, objects, and spaces fast, efficient and effective”, said Hellen van der Plas, Market Leader of Signify’s operations in the Benelux. “We’re very proud that we’re now able to help PSV, a prominent top Tier club in the Netherlands based in our company’s home city, to provide their players with that additional layer of protection.”