With personnel complaining of allergies and health ministry declaring them hazardous, police stations told to remove spray machine
A policeman getting sprayed with disinfectant at Samta Nagar police station earlier. File pic
The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has advised against spraying disinfectants on humans saying the chemicals can do both physical and psychological harm. Sources said that recently, many police personnel complained to the BMC's Health Department regarding the sanitising spray machines installed at police stations. After the complaints emerged, police personnel stopped using the machines.
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According to the advisory, spraying chlorine on human beings can lead to irritation of the eyes and skin and potentially gastrointestinal effects such as nausea and vomiting. Inhalation of sodium hypochlorite can lead to irritation of mucous membranes to the nose, throat, respiratory tract and may also cause bronchospasm (difficulty in breathing).
A spray booth installed at Borivli police station
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, spray machines were installed at police stations by the civic body and NGOs. Personnel entering the police station had to enter the cubicle first where the machine would spray them with disinfectant.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a police constable told mid-day, "Earlier, we enjoyed the spray machines. It felt like we were taking a bath and would feel refreshed. But after two-three days of continuous use, we started having reactions. It caused irritation in our eyes and also caused us to vomit. We stopped using them then and informed our seniors at the police station."
Another constable said, "After getting sprayed with the disinfectant, I used to feel nauseous and would have trouble breathing. Doctors advised me not to get my body, especially my eyes and mouth, sprayed with the disinfectant."
Senior Inspector Namdeo Shinde of Kasturba police said, "We installed and managed these machines to protect our personnel. But spraying it is dangerous we have been informed. We are not using the spray machines now and will remove them as soon as possible."
The advisory also warned, "Additionally use of such measures may in fact lead to a false sense of disinfection & safety and actually hamper public observance to hand washing and social distancing measures."
"We instructed senior inspector of police stations to remove these spray machines. We have provided them with gloves, masks, face shields and PPE kits. The police department did not provide the sanitising booths. Some police stations got them installed with the help of local NGOs or of their own accord. The spray machines are dangerous to health," said DCP Pranay Ashok, spokesperson for the Mumbai police.
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