by Joseph K. Schulman
Founder/President
Mobility Solutions, LLC.

Long-wave UV lamps enhance visual inspection by restoring contrast and by fluorescence. In sanitary inspection applications, we are fortunate that the most common and offensive contaminants, such as urine, fluoresce naturally, without the need to use fluorescent additives. Therefore, performing a UV sanitary inspection is easy and straightforward. Although UV can be used effectively for linen, carpet and upholstery inspection as well as hard surfaces, let’s use a restroom as an example.

First, as a control measure, find a surface you know to be clean and examine it under the UV light. Make note of the details in its appearance, such as color and texture.

Note also any surface imperfections you might otherwise mistake for soiling in an actual inspection. It is very important to know what a clean surface looks like before proceeding. · Next, darken the room as much as possible ... the darker, the better, when using UV.

Turn on the lamp and give your eyes a few seconds to adjust. For the best possible “view,” use UV absorbing eyewear when working with UV lamps, especially the high-power models. By keeping reflected UV light out of the eyes, visualization is enhanced while the wearer is protected from stray UV emissions.

Holding the UV lamp, examine the surfaces of the restroom from about 6 to 18 inches. The more powerful your lamp is, the further away you can hold it from the surface and still see details. In a typical restroom, look closely at the areas around the urinals, sinks and dispensers for urine and fecal bacteria evidence. Urine will fluoresce in a variety of yellow-green shades. Fecal matter will often appear as glowing, darker green speckles. Be sure to look at the grout surrounding all fixtures, ledges, partitions and hardware for the fluorescent signature of these contaminants. Remember also to look at other surfaces people touch when using the restroom, such as the light switch, door hardware, etc. Organic carpet and upholstery stains can also be seen quite well with a UV lamp. Whether left by a pet or a patient or just a messy eater, a UV lamp will locate the offending spot quickly and easily.