High Tech UV Light System joins Thermal Image Scanning at Paolino Properties

As we all consider ways to stay safer, employers are also getting their plans together for cleaning, masks for employees, and rearranged physical plant. In downtown Providence, business leader, Joe Paolino, Jr. is taking it to a high tech level – incorporating both a UV Light system and Thermal Inage Scanning. Here is more information on both:

From the Paolino Properties website:

As part of its ongoing efforts to safeguard tenants, visitors and hotel guests against current and future health risks associated with viral, bacterial and other contaminants, Paolino Properties has invested in a state-of-the-art, ultraviolet air purification system for use in its flagship building at 100 Westminster Street, as well as the adjoining boutique hotel The Beatrice, which is set to open this summer.

The BioWall Air Purification Unit is a patented product manufactured by Sanuvox – a Montreal-based global leader in the production of germicidal ultraviolet air purification systems. The system has been certified effective by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and is currently implemented within some of the most secure buildings in the country.

According to Sanuvox records, 100 Westminster Street will be the first building in Rhode Island to utilize BioWall, which works through the installation of multiple high-powered ultraviolet lamp arrays into a building’s HVAC system. Each time air cycles through the duct that contains the germicidal UV BioWall, more contaminants are eliminated until the air is biologically 100-percent purified.

“BioWall prevents the HVAC system within a building from becoming a transmission path for contaminants to travel from room to room and floor to floor. It’s like immunizing the building against airborne microorganisms,” said Ralph Fletcher, VP of Northeast Sales for Sanuvox. “Although the knowledge of utilizing ultraviolet light for sanitation purposes has been around for over 100 years, we are the only company currently harnessing it to successfully purify moving air.”

Paolino Properties managing partner Joseph R. Paolino Jr. has been proactive in exploring different ways to protect public health inside buildings with high foot traffic since the beginning of this pandemic and said that BioWall is another valuable tool towards accomplishing that goal.

“My team and I have been participating in local and national webinars and meetings to learn more about new systems that are available on the market,” Paolino said. “I’m excited about BioWall because it will keep the air in our building clean and our community safer, which is of the utmost importance to me – especially during a time in which we’re all highly aware of possible health risks.”

Examples of buildings that utilize Sanuvox air purification systems include:

• The J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building in Washington D.C.
• The U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters in Washington, D.C.
• The Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
• The U.S. Army Defense Acquisition University in Fort Belvoir, Va.
• The FBI buildings located in Knoxville, Tenn. and Indianapolis, In.
• The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Center in Harrisburg, Pa.
• The U.S. Coast Guard facility in New London, Conn.

An animated demonstration of how the ultraviolet purification system works is here:  

Installed parallel to the air flow inside the duct, Sanuvox UV air disinfection systems work in any building with a ventilation system and improve indoor air quality.

This system is the second resource Paolino has invested in. A few weeks ago, he announced the installation of a thermal scan technology system at his main 100 Westminster Street building.

From their website:

Paolino Properties has partnered with Seek Thermal, a leading provider of high-performance thermal imaging products. Their downtown property, 100 Westminster Street, will be an early adopter of Seek Scan™, a thermal imaging system designed to automate body temperature screening using skin temperature as a proxy.

Seek Scan’s patent-pending technology enables users to quickly and non-invasively scan individuals entering a building with a thermal camera. The system will then display an alert if someone reads warmer than the customizable alarm temperature.

“There is nothing more important to me right now than protecting the health of our tenants, essential employees, and members of the public who interact with us,” said Joseph R. Paolino Jr., Managing Partner at Paolino Properties. “This cutting-edge thermal imaging system will enable us to safely scan anybody entering our building for an elevated temperature while still observing social distancing practices. We are excited to be on the forefront of implementing this new technology.”

Seek Scan thermal cameras can be installed and operational within minutes and placed in lobbies, hallways or other key areas of entry within buildings. They are able to measure the skin temperature of any individual through a comparison of their face’s external temperature – a reliable spot to measure surface body temperature – with a fixed heat source also in the camera’s view. The system immediately alerts the operator if the individual scanned has a temperature above a customizable threshold.

“We are excited Paolino Properties has partnered with us to be one of the first commercial office buildings in the country to use Seek Scan,” said Jeff Karlson, Vice President of Product & Marketing for Seek Thermal, and a Brown University alumnus. “We have shipped over a thousand units in the last two weeks and have a growing backlog in the tens of thousands. We are ramping up production and in position to fulfill this in May as we continue to get more interest in the product.”

“Currently, other forward-thinking customers utilizing Seek Scan include manufacturing facilities, food distribution centers and government buildings,” Karlson continued. “However, we expect to see many more commercial properties such as office buildings, restaurants and hotels adopt this technology in the immediate future. For buildings with significant foot traffic, it is an intuitive and low-cost solution which can help establish peace of mind relative to our safety and wellness.”

It is important to note Seek Scan is a pre-screening device – not a medical device – and will not be used in lieu of social distancing, face mask protection, or any other measures that state and health officials recommend. Paolino Properties is finalizing a standard set of protocols for subsequent steps that are to be taken when somebody entering the 100 Westminster Street building triggers a high-temperature alert.

“I am grateful to Seek Thermal for how easy it has been to learn about and acquire this wonderful new system,” Paolino said. “It is critical to explore new ways to safeguard our tenants so that we can begin to reopen our economy when it is safe to do so.”