With the risk of infection a critical concern in confined spaces, Webasto, a world-leading manufacturer of systems and solutions for the automotive market, has developed the world’s first medical grade air filtration system for passenger and emergency vehicles.
High-efficiency particulate air filters (HEPA) are critical in the prevention of the spread of airborne bacterial and viral organisms. In conjunction with personal protective equipment, this type of filtration greatly reduces the risk of infection for emergency medical service operators and patients.
The Webasto filtration systems HFT 300 and HFT 600 are specifically designed to filter the air in the cabin and in the sanitary compartment of ambulances, removing 99.995% particulates corresponding to SARS/COVID-19 virus sizes (0.1 micrometres) and effectively reducing the risk of infection.
David Stafford, Commercial Manager, Webasto UK, said, “This product is revolutionary in its design and performance. Our team in Italy, at Webasto’s centre of excellence for air conditioning and filtration systems, have worked day and night to develop a system that is lightweight and compact enough to be fitted, with ease, into a range of passenger and emergency vehicles whilst complying with WHO air filtration guidelines that require up to 10㎥ sanitised air every minute.”
Webasto HEPA Filter Top combines two main features to reduce viral particles in the ambient air: a very high air volume flow for the rapid and complete filtration of the air every single minute and the extremely high removal efficiency of HEPA H14 filters. In addition, it has an automatic filter monitoring light indicating when the filters need changing and has been designed to eliminate any contamination during the filter replacement process.
The unit complies with the International HEPA Filter standards WHO / CDC / ECDC, requiring 60 air changes per hour for infection control in ambulances and, is compliant with the European Medical Device Directive CE 47/2007.
It can be easily installed in any existing emergency vehicle. Moreover, Webasto is uniquely able to offer the same level of HEPA-14 filtration for a variety of passenger transport applications, meaning the transportation industry can rest assured that drivers and passengers can be kept as safe as possible whilst travelling in commercial vehicles.
David concluded, “With current infection control demands affecting every aspect of our lives it is imperative that manufacturers such as Webasto, develop solutions that support Governmental policy and sectors of society where mitigating measures can make a huge difference. The Webasto HEPA Filtration Systems will have a positive impact on how we travel now and into the future.”
