Ozone is widely employed for air and surface sanitization in hospitals, healthcare facilities, food processing plants, and water disinfection applications.

Hyderabad (Metro Rail News): L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad Limited (L&TMRH) made history on Tuesday as the first metro rail in India to implement ozone-based sanitization for its train coaches. To ensure passenger safety and boost confidence during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company introduced three portable Ozycare Mobizone units specifically designed to sanitize coaches.

According to an official announcement, the utilization of ozone for air and surface sanitization has gained significant prominence in hospitals, healthcare facilities, food processing plants, and water disinfection practices. The recent launch of these units comes after a comprehensive testing phase conducted on multiple metro coaches, followed by efficacy evaluation at a NABL-accredited laboratory.

K.V.B. Reddy, the CEO and managing director of L&T MRH, expressed, “These units demonstrate exceptional efficacy in eliminating over 99% of pathogens from both the surfaces and air inside the train coaches. Our aim is to instill confidence among passengers, encouraging them to opt for the metro as their preferred mode of transportation amidst the ongoing pandemic.”

According to the sanitization protocol of this machine, the ozone cycle takes less than 10 minutes, followed by an ozone destruction cycle that ensures post-sanitization safety in compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. Throughout this period, the machine effectively sanitizes the entire coach.

Currently, the Ozycare Mobizone units are being employed to sanitize metro coaches at metro depots. They serve as a complementary measure to the comprehensive manual sanitization process conducted throughout the entire metro system, effectively targeting even the most inaccessible gaps and crevices, as explained by the official.

According to the press release, the sanitation process is deemed safe, and the Hyderabad Metro Rail has already implemented stringent COVID-19 safety standards by closely monitoring and adhering to the guidelines. However, passengers are reminded to consistently wear masks, maintain social distancing, and undergo mandatory thermal scanning before entering the metro station.