AIRU 05 — UV, Safety and Honest Claims

Optical vocabulary, UV dose, interlocks, compliance boundaries and defensible V1 language.

What is AIRU V1's UV scope?

A visible violet/near-UV lighting placeholder that demonstrates location and interface only. V1 does not use germicidal UV-C or make sterilization claims.

Nanometer (nm)

One billionth of a meter. Optical wavelength is commonly expressed in nanometers.

265 nm UV-C

A germicidal ultraviolet wavelength near strong nucleic-acid absorption. It can injure eyes and skin and requires controlled safety engineering.

395 nm LED

A violet/near-UV LED used by AIRU as a visual placeholder. It is not equivalent to 265 nm UV-C and does not demonstrate disinfection.

Why should 395 nm not be called completely safe?

It is much less hazardous than germicidal UV-C but is still intense optical radiation. Avoid direct staring and follow normal LED photobiological-safety practices.

Irradiance

Optical power received per unit area, often expressed in mW/cm². It is not the same as total dose.

UV dose equation

Dose equals irradiance multiplied by exposure time. For example, mW/cm² × seconds gives mJ/cm².

Why does cleaning speed affect UV dose?

Faster movement reduces dwell time on each patch of floor, lowering the delivered energy per unit area.

Why is a single UV pass not automatically germicidal?

Dose varies with speed, distance, angle, shadows, LED output, surface reflectance, and organism sensitivity; all require validation.

Auto-shutoff when the brush head lifts

A future safety function that detects excessive floor distance and immediately removes power from UV-C emitters.

Sealed UV shroud

A physical skirt or enclosure intended to prevent direct or sideways UV-C emission from reaching people.

Suction-motor interlock

A future rule that permits UV-C operation only when the vacuum motor and required operating conditions are active.

Startup warning

A clear display indication before and during UV operation so the user knows the hazard-producing mode is active.

Child lock

A deliberate activation action, such as a long press, intended to reduce accidental UV-mode activation.

IEC 62471

A photobiological-safety standard used to assess optical radiation hazards from lamps and lamp systems. Compliance requires specialist testing, not a DIY assumption.

What must be tested before real UV-C enters a public prototype?

Optical containment, lift detection, interlocks, irradiance mapping, dose uniformity, temperature, electrical safety, failure modes, and applicable compliance requirements.

Why must UV-C and violet-placeholder language stay separate?

Mixing them could mislead judges or users into believing a colored light demonstrates germicidal performance.

What claim may AIRU make about V1 lighting?

The prototype shows where a future UV system could integrate and how its user interface might behave.

What claim must AIRU not make about V1 lighting?

It must not claim bacterial kill, sterilization, sanitization performance, validated dose, or UV-C safety certification.

Best safety-first response if someone asks for real UV-C now

Keep it out of V1 and move it to a separately reviewed optical, mechanical, electrical, and compliance workstream.