Keeping your facility’s environment clean and safe is no longer a daily task, it’s a public health mandate. This places a seemingly impossible criteria for employers, regardless of their size or resources. It creates a sense of panic and added uncertainty for employees, everywhere.
Where To Start
There are plenty of facts to keep in mind when ensuring you work towards a clean and safe work place. You should have clear knowledge of which disinfecting products are effective against the coronavirus and you should be mindful of what causes the spread of COVID-19. Identifying high traffic areas and understanding the products’ effectiveness and how long it takes to kill the virus can be helpful in selecting your clean and safe routine. It is also wise to evaluate and improve your surface cleaning and disinfecting protocols, as needed.
If you’re unsure where to even start when it comes to choosing cleaning products, you aren’t alone. To start, look for a product on the EPA website or the CBC (Center for Biocide Chemistries) website. They list products that can be used against the virus per the EPA’s Emerging Viral Pathogen Guidance. You can request an information sheet for various products’ effectiveness and other facts from your supply company.
Tips and Tricks for Disinfecting Effectively
- Disinfect Frequently: Repeatedly touched surfaces should be cleaned just routinely. Surfaces like desks, conference room tables, cafeteria tables, restroom stalls, stall doors, door handles, keyboards, and sink fixtures tend to fall into this category.
- Clean Thoroughly: Take the time to clean all of your spaces. It’ll take less time than if you were to get sick and have to miss work. Disinfect surfaces from high-touch areas (door handles, keyboards) to low-touch areas (file cabinets, catalog library) so that your workplace is cleaned entirely. Set a standard to sanitize surfaces from “cleaner” areas like office spaces, while also cleaning “dirtier” areas like bathrooms, to cut-down on cross-contamination.
- Give It Your All: If you’re going to take the time to clean your workspace, try to do your best. When disinfecting the spaces around you, ensure surfaces remain visibly wet before wiping dry – this ensures kill-time. When you go to clean, do it all at once. Get it all out of the way and start fresh in your newly cleaned space. It’s best to do this at the end of the work day so that you can come in the following day to a clean and safe and more sanitized space.
Products and Supplies to Help Employees
- Alcohol-based hand sanitizers containing minimum 60% alcohol
- EPA-registered disinfecting wipes
- Soap and Paper Towels
- Tissues
- Trashcans
- Disposable Facemasks
- Reusable Facemasks
- Gloves
- Disinfectants
Extras!
Find out more about what to look for on the EPA’s website, article “What is an emerging viral pathogen claim?“
You can also find more cleaning information on the CDC’s website, article “Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools, and Homes.“