With Omicron stretching supermarket supply chains across the nation, shoppers are being urged to turn to independent supermarkets for their essentials – by shopping at Drakes, they can also be assured that Airofresh air purification is keeping them safe.
Independent supermarkets traditionally have shorter supply lines, meaning it is easier for them to maintain stocked shelves when disruptions occur.
As a boost to its hygiene programs, Drake’s Supermarkets, with outlets in South Australia and Queensland, has commenced installing a full-circle air purification system that can eliminate 99.99999 per cent of airborne viruses, including COVID-19.
The first installation of the Airofresh air-purification units, distributed nationally by ServiceFM, occurred at the family-owned supermarket’s Newton store in Adelaide this week.
Safety assured
Drake’s Supermarkets Chief Executive Roger Drake said his company always sought ways to ensure the safety of its customers and workers.
“Every business needs to meet new expectations regarding the health and safety of its customers and staff, and that’s why we’re partnering with ServiceFM to install Airofresh within our stores.”
“We’ve always focused on the principles of supporting local manufacturers and suppliers, so it’s exciting that we are using this South Australian-made, world-leading air-purification system to ensure our supermarkets are safe for all who enter.
“This is leading-edge technology that manages infection control and odours, adding to our already high-quality customer experience.”
Scientific proof
Testing undertaken by Flinders University found the carbon neutral Airofresh unit was able to remove virus particles, ensuring workplaces, health and aged care services, schools and other public and commercial buildings could be better protected from pathogens including MS2, a surrogate test for SARS Cov-2, along with fungi, mould, bacteria and gasses.
ServiceFM is the national distributor of Airofresh units, aiming to work with retail and supermarket outlets, schools, childcare, health, airports and other facilities across Australia.
ServiceFM Chief Executive Officer James Pollock said while the focus had been on keeping people COVID-19-free and ensuring workplaces were healthy sites, attention is now moving to measures to support the health and hygiene learnings of the past 18 months as work places return to normal.
Airofresh requires maintenance only every two years and its filterless system doesn’t require PPE when serviced nor the disposal of dirty, contaminated HEPA filters.
“The filterless system means contaminants aren’t stored and the full-circle air purification ensures the entire environment is continually safe for workers, clients and staff.”
A clean environment
Airofresh Managing Director Jon Taylor said the air purification units were designed to clean an environment by generating single-oxygen hydrons and hydroxyl ions, which eliminate airborne viruses, bacteria and atmospheric contaminants.
“The unique process Airofresh uses provides a capability not found in units such as ozone oxidisers, or single-approach processes such as filters,” Mr Taylor said.
Mr Taylor said the Airofresh system was able to eliminate airborne and surface contaminants, reduce disease and cross contamination, manage infection control, clean toxic gasses, and remove unpleasant odours. The system could also work in parallel with reverse-cycle air conditioners.
With COVID-19 and concerns about the quick-spreading Omicron variant as we head into the summer holiday break, Mr Pollock said the past two years had shown the need to remove contaminants from ambient air was more important than ever.
“Along with Drakes, we’ve been working with schools in several states, with food producers, office building owners, health and aged care service providers and airports, and they understand the need to provide the highest possible air quality to keep their premises and their people safe,” he said.
“There has never been a greater need for pure, safe air in the spaces we live, work and play. This Australian-made technology has come along at just the right time.”
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