Disinfection robots, floormats: CapitaLand steps up safety measures in malls for Covid-19 reopening

High contact areas in CapitaLand malls, including Tampines Mall (above), will progressively be coated with an anti-microbial disinfectant. PHOTO: CAPITALAND
High contact areas in CapitaLand malls, including Tampines Mall (above), will progressively be coated with an anti-microbial disinfectant. PHOTO: CAPITALAND

SINGAPORE (THE BUSINESS TIMES) - CapitaLand will deploy innovative tech solutions such as disinfecting robots and an air disinfection system at its malls to enhance its cleaning and disinfecting routines ahead of Singapore's phase one reopening in June, it said in a bourse filing on Friday (May 29).

Starting next month, autonomous UV disinfection robots will be deployed daily after mall operating hours to disinfect the basement and Level One of Tampines Mall and Bukit Panjang Plaza, which are floors with high shopper traffic, CapitaLand said.

The robots, which will be progressively rolled out at other CapitaLand malls, complement daily disinfection routines carried out by cleaning crew.

From June, the mall operator will also install in all mall lifts a PhotoPlasma air disinfection system. The technology energises atmospheric air into a plasma state, which eliminates airborne and surface micro-organisms such as viruses and bacteria.

In addition to the disinfection system, lifts will receive general cleaning and a coating of anti-microbial disinfectant. The anti-microbial disinfectant will also be applied to high-contact areas such as escalator handrails, door entrance buttons, touchscreens, toilet cubicles and basins, family rooms, as well as customer service counters.

Surfaces treated with the disinfectant can potentially ward off bacteria and viruses for up to six months.

CapitaLand said it will continue to clean and disinfect all high-contact touchpoints at stepped-up frequency of once every two to three hours.

It is also introducing disinfection floormats from June, which are floormats with disinfection solution poured over them. Shoppers' soles will be cleaned when they step on the floormats, which will be placed at key entrances. The mats will be changed and cleaned twice daily.

In addition, the group is rolling out automatic escalator handrail disinfection and contactless lift activation at The Atrium@Orchard, located next to Dhoby Ghaut MRT station.

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Two high-traffic escalators at this mall will have an ultra UV device installed that disinfects the handrails when the escalator is in use. Users will not be exposed to UV light, it said.

Two lifts at the mall will also be fitted with a device that allows users to scan a QR code and activate the elevators without touching the buttons.

Meanwhile, CapitaLand will distribute two face shields to all frontliners working in its malls, including tenant employees, vendors and contractors, from the first week of June, it said. The shields are part of Temasek Foundation's "Stay Prepared" initiative.

Shares of CapitaLand closed at $2.89 on Thursday, down $0.01 or 0.4 per cent.

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