Omani firm fabricates walk-in sterilisation kiosk

Spurred by a wave of innovation sweeping across the Sultanate in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a Suhar based Omani engineering firm has come up with a home-grown version of a ‘Sterilisation Kiosk’ designed for the external disinfection of individuals. Placed outside a shopping mall, office building or mosque, for example, the walk-in style Sterilisation Kiosk can be used to deliver a fine spray of disinfectant liquid, thereby destroying any pathogen that may lurk on the clothes or person of the visitor before they enter a building. The innovation is the handiwork of Triangle Engineering LLC, a manufacturing and services enterprises specialising in delivering state-of-the-art solutions, according to CEO Khalid al Jashmi. “We came up with this sterilisation machine at the behest of a friend and specifically with the idea of keeping our staff creatively engaged during the period of the lockdown. So we studied the idea, put it down on paper, invited feedback from fellow professionals, and finally fabricated it with our own resources at our workshop,” Al Jashmi told the Observer. The fully-functional prototype is fitted with a sensor that activates a spray system as soon as it detects the presence of a person at the entrance of the machine. Nozzles fitted on the roof and sides of the kiosks deliver a mist of any disinfectant deemed safe for humans. While the prototype is destined for the premises of a major petrochemicals firm based in Suhar – a ‘gesture of gratitude from us to them for standing by us through challenging times’ – Al Jashmi says the company is now ready to commercialise the innovation. With countries elsewhere in the GCC preparing to install sterilisation kiosks as part of their efforts to reopen their economies after an extended lockdown, the entrepreneur sees the potential for Omani companies and businesses to adopt similar measures in the Sultanate as well. “We see the potential for these sterilisation machines to be used at the entrances of worksites in the desert, outside shopping centres and mosques, public buildings, and so.  Based on specific customer requirements, these machines can be upgraded to include thermal cameras for body temperature reading, UV lighting, and other fixtures.  Our goal, on the one hand, is to support the Omani government in its fight against the pandemic, while on the other hand, is to keep our talented workforce productively engaged during this difficult time.”