Teck Resources (TSX: TECK.A, TECK.B, NYSE: TECK) announced the installation of more than one thousand antimicrobial copper patches on high-touch surfaces at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in Burnaby, BC, the first installation of its kind at a post-secondary institution in Canada.
Health Canada-certified Copper Clean Antimicrobial Surface Patches have been installed in public areas on surfaces including door handles and railings across five buildings at BCIT. Manufactured by the Canadian company Coptek Copper Covers, the patches are self-sanitizing adhesive copper covers that continuously kill 99% of bacteria left behind on surfaces.
Copper is the only solid metal touch surface registered by Health Canada and the US Environmental Protection Agency, proven to eliminate up to 99.9% of bacteria on surfaces
Funded by Teck through its Copper & Health program, the installation creates a safer environment for students, faculty, and staff due to copper’s naturally antimicrobial properties, the company said.
The initiative follows a five-week trial that Teck funded in 2020 in which the antimicrobial properties of copper products were tested on two TransLink buses on high-ridership routes and two SkyTrain cars. Results from that industry-first trial showed that copper is effective at killing up to 99.9% of bacteria on high-touch transit surfaces.
Copper is the only solid metal touch surface registered by Health Canada and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, proven to eliminate up to 99.9% of bacteria left behind on surfaces.
“We are proud to partner with BCIT and commend the institute’s leadership on this initiative which creates a safer environment for students and staff,” Don Lindsay, Teck CEO said in a media release.
“As part of our Copper & Health program, Teck has been working to expand the use of antimicrobial copper in high-traffic public spaces. This partnership is another important step forward and we will continue working to make our communities safer.”
