CASE STUDY
Lowering player risk in hockey
locker rooms at Danbury Arena
Implementing Visium Far-UVC fixtures reduces
microbial load on high-touch surfaces.
OVERVIEW
The Danbury Arena is a sports facility which hosts hockey, skating, concerts, and MMA events. The arena is also home to the HatTricks professional hockey team as well as other local youth and college teams. As part of Diamond Properties, Danbury Arena is committed to the highest levels of player health and sanitization.
Danbury Arena and Diamond Properties sought solutions to reduce bioburden on surfaces and in the air in the key areas where pathogen transmission and team risk remain highest. Visium Far-UVC was installed in the locker room shared by players, coaches and staff for games and practices. With Visium bioaerosols and surface microbes can be inactivated continuously, leading to lower risk interactions for players and staff.
THE CHALLENGE
Locker rooms and bathrooms in professional sports facilities are high-contact, high-turnover environments. Equipment, shared seating, and damp surfaces see constant use by players and staff, creating opportunities for pathogens to spread. Traditional terminal cleaning methods leave gaps in sanitation between cleaning sessions, allowing germs to accumulate on high-touch surfaces. Diamond Properties sought a non-intrusive, always-on solution to help enhance the health, safety and well-being of players and staff.
OUR SOLUTION: Visium Far-UVC Fixtures
Ten Visium clear devices were installed across the HatTricks locker room and bathroom area. Far-UVC continuously inactivates bioaerosols and surface bioburden, covering 938 sq. ft. of active space. Devices were recessed into the ceiling for seamless integration within the space.
KEY FEATURES
- Continuous 24/7 air and surface sanitization
- Far-UVC tech proven to reduce airborne pathogens
- Discreet and silent operation, for a patient-centered environment
- Visium app bridges IoT connectivity for real-time monitoring via mobile devices
Third-Party Test Results
Sampling taken of high touch surfaces around the locker room (lockers, skate rack, etc.) looked for changes in bioburden with Visium use compared to the visitor locker room without Visium. Samples were collected same day from analogous surfaces while skaters and coaches actively used the rooms.
Six locations across the locker room had their surfaces swabbed for comparison and quantification by an independent testing lab, US-Microsolutions. Visium had been active in the space for a couple of weeks. Swabbing a comparable room with similar use allowed for general comparisons of surface bioburden reduction.
Results showed that Visium reduced the bacterial abundance on high touch surfaces and kept them up to 99% lower than without Far-UVC. On average, the HatTrick’s Visium-equiped locker room had 72% less bioburden than the non-Visium equipped locker room. The best individual reductions were the bathroom wall and bathroom divider with 99% reductions.
Outcome
Visium added an additional layer of protection from potential pathogens by seamlessly integrating with the locker room. Visium provides continuous sanitization verified by biological sampling.
Samples collected from the locker room were independently analyzed and demonstrated bacterial reduction with consistent Visium use
Up to 99% reduction of colony forming units (CFUs), even with active use by players and coaches
Visium reduced the amount of bioburden in the air and on surfaces, reducing risk to staff and players
Conclusion
Danbury Arena is a busy, active sports and entertainment facility dedicated to the highest standards to ensure teams and patrons’ enjoyment, safety and wellbeing. Without sacrificing cleaning efficiency or labor, Visium was able to meet and exceed expectations to improve air quality and surface sanitation without disrupting the busy arena schedule.
Although the HatTricks locker room was more consistently in use, the amount of colony forming units on the surfaces were significantly lowered in comparison to the adjacent locker room and bathroom. Danbury Arena sees Visium installations as the next step in sanitization and player safety, adding an additional safeguard to lower the risks from surface pathogens and respiratory illnesses.
Partner With Us
We are actively working with new facilities that want to understand what continuous sanitization can do in their own environment.
If your organization is exploring ways to improve indoor environmental quality and reduce pathogen risk, we welcome the opportunity to collaborate. Our team will assess your space, recommend an appropriate Visium solution, and support your deployment to help generate real world results tailored to your facility.