Is Your Workplace Ready For Employees? How Corporate Sanitization & Disinfection Services Are Assuring Employees To Return To Work?

The coronavirus has changed our outlook on how we clean, disinfect and sanitize the workplace. Companies are planning to reopen offices following proper health and safety guidance by the government.

To keep the corporate workplace safe and encourage the employees to return to offices without worrying about health and hygiene, companies are outsourcing sanitization and disinfection services to professional service providers.

These outsourced disinfection and sanitization services have developed some strategies as follow:

1. Cleaning Services

Cleaning high-touch surfaces at least once a day or as needed is advisable. Pens, countertops, tables, shopping carts, doorknobs, handles, light switches, stair rails, elevator buttons, desktops, phones, keyboards, toilets, sinks and faucets are examples of high-touch surfaces.

Here’re a few things to keep in mind while carrying out the cleaning tasks:

• Ensure that the cleaning staff is adequately trained in the use of cleaning (and disinfecting, if necessary) materials.
• To discover what safety measures are required when using the product, read the directions on the product label. This might involve personal protective equipment (PPE) such as glasses, goggles or gloves, increased ventilation and other measures.
• After cleaning, wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water. After removing the gloves, wash your hands immediately. If soap and water aren’t available and your hands aren’t visibly dirty, apply an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol and then wash with soap and water as soon as possible.

Bottom line

Proper cleaning helps remove germs and impurities from objects and surfaces and lowers the risk of spreading infection. However, after cleaning, make sure you wash your hands immediately with soap and water. Besides, take special care of people with asthma as some cleaning products can trigger the condition.

2. Sanitization Services

The quantity of germs on surfaces or items is reduced to a safe level by sanitizing them. To minimize the danger of infection, this technique cleans or disinfects surfaces and objects. While conducting the sanitization tasks, keep the following things in mind:

• Before sanitizing the area, clean visibly dirty surfaces properly with soap or detergent and a damp cloth.
• Use products that are reliable and effective against the COVID-19 virus.
• Check that the used products have not expired and are specifically curated to fight germs and bacteria.

Bottom line

Sanitization helps in reducing the quantity of germs to a safe level. Some products are specifically designed to clean and sanitize areas; however, some are just for sanitation purposes. In that case, cleaning the surface beforehand is essential.

3. Disinfection Services

Disinfectants (such as EPA-registered disinfectants) are used to destroy microorganisms on surfaces. It does not necessarily clean unclean surfaces, but it can reduce the risk of illness transmission by killing bacteria on a surface. To ensure that the product is used safely and effectively, always follow the recommendations on the label.

• To avoid potential hazards, check the product packaging and label to see what PPE is necessary.
• Only use the amount specified on the label.
• Make sure you have adequate ventilation at your workplace.
• Don’t apply disinfection products with bare hands as the products can cause severe harm to your skin.
• If diluting with water is required, use room temperature water.

Bottom line

Always follow the instructions on the product label to make sure you use it correctly. Don’t mix products or chemicals and use only the amount that is recommended on the label. Mark the disinfect solutions and ask employees to steer clear of that area.

4. Routine Cleaning

Regular cleaning can help prevent the spread of infections at the workplace, such as flu, stomach bugs, colds and other airborne diseases. Employers and facility managers should consider routine cleaning a part of their daily activities as hygienic measures can stop or slow the spread of COVID-19.

• Surfaces (such as desks and tables) and items (such as telephones and keyboards) should be disinfected on a regular basis.
• Encourage workers, contractors, and consumers to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly.
• Encourage proper respiratory hygiene at work.

Bottom line

It is important to ensure that your workplace is clean and hygienic. By promoting hand-washing and hygiene at the office, the spread of COVID-19 could be stopped at large. Besides, ensure that adequate paper tissues and face masks are available at your workplace for adequate respiratory hygiene.

5. Cleaning and Disinfection When Someone is Sick

Suppose a sick individual or someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 has visited your facility in the previous 24 hours. In that case, you should clean, sanitize and disinfect the areas they touched or occupied. Close off places used by the affected individual, and don’t use those areas again until they’ve been cleaned and disinfected properly.

While cleaning and disinfecting, keep the following things in mind:

• Increase air circulation in the space by opening doors, windows and using ventilation fans or HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) settings.
• When cleaning and disinfecting, wear a face mask and gloves.
• Concentrate on the immediate areas occupied by the person who is unwell or has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
• If necessary, vacuum the area. Use a vacuum that has high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) bags and a filter.

Bottom line

Clean and disinfect the place if it has been less than 24 hours since the person who is unwell or has been diagnosed with COVID-19 was there. If it has been more than 24 hours, only cleaning the space is enough. No additional cleaning beyond regular cleaning practices is required if it has been more than three days.

6. Additional Considerations for Employers and Facility Operators

Before allocating cleaning and disinfection chores, develop regulations to safeguard employees and educate them on symptoms of COVID-19.

• To protect them from hazardous chemicals, the training should encompass using a PPE kit, how to use it, how to put it on and how to dispose it properly.
• Comply with the standards of OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens.
• Ensure that the workers are trained well to read instructions or labels on cleaning products.

Bottom line

Ensure that your workers are adequately trained and educated on infection control and prevention elements, including wearing and disposing of PPE kits. They should remain informed and alert about the changing conditions of the pandemic.

Key Takeaways

It goes without saying that safe and sanitized facilities play a crucial role in creating a healthy and virus-free work environment for employees.

Besides following the strategies mentioned above, it is essential to spread awareness among the workers, cleaners and staff members. Factors like wearing face masks, maintaining social distance and hand sanitization should be given utmost importance to combat the deadly virus.

The majority of India’s integrated facility management firms have come up with full-proof solutions to deal with such a circumstance. If you are getting your workplace ready for COVID-19 and are looking for sanitization and disinfection services, it’s time to partner with a professional facility management company like S&IB to increase the safety and well-being of your workers.