COVID is not being covert. Nearly 500,000 new cases of COVID occurred on December 29, 2021.
Yet this number accounts for a fraction of illnesses that occurred on that day. Many people became sick after breathing in a virus or touching a bacteria to their face. If you want to keep your workers safe, you have to think about creating a healthy environment.
What are the standards you should follow for cleaning? How can you clean? How can you get your employees involved so they create a healthy space?
Answer these questions and you can promote the safety of your employees without breaking a sweat. Here is your quick guide.
Follow Cleaning Standards
There is no one set of cleaning standards that all organizations must adhere to. Municipal health and safety regulations are the ones that affect most businesses and building owners. Restaurants must remove trash and keep their food clean so customers do not encounter health hazards.
Schools must adopt similar protocols for quality control. They must keep bathrooms clean so students and faculty members do not get sick.
Some states are imposing regulations related to COVID-19 specifically. Businesses must have proper air filtration systems so air does not stagnate or contain viral spores. They should install dividers so saliva cannot travel through the air.
Be diligent before you adopt health and safety protocols in your business. Talk to a lawyer and a representative of your local government about what laws you need to follow.
Many organizations recommend cleaning tips, but not cleaning standards. Cleaning tips for daycare centers are especially important to follow given how dirty young children can be. Do your research on recommendations that affect your business.
Find Cleaning Products
Many people feel comfortable cleaning their office with the anti-bacterial spray they see at a store. A basic spray may be enough to kill some germs that can spread disease. But you need to find more than that.
Take a look at a few different cleaning agents. Detergents can break down dirt and soil, making it easier to sweep or vacuum the floors. Acid cleaners can destroy solid substances like vomit, but they can damage floors if they are used incorrectly.
Hot water and soap are basic tools. They do not kill all pathogens or viruses. Yet they are good when you are cleaning a sink or pipe.
Buy a bunch of different cleaning products and store them in a central location. Make sure you have paper towels, rags, and scrubbing tools that you can use the products with.
Locate High-Touch Surfaces
High-touch surfaces are objects that many people touch several times a day. All areas of a building should be cleaned, but special priority should go toward high-touch surfaces.
In an office or classroom setting, high-touch surfaces include doorknobs, light switches, and appliances. The more these surfaces get touched, the more you should clean them. You may need to clean them once an hour if people use them often.
Some high-touch areas are less noticeable. Chair arms, pens, and mouses count as high-touch. You need to use sanitizing substances on them in order to alleviate the risk of infection.
Floors also count as high-touch areas. Vacuuming can help, but you should aim for revitalizing your floors at least once a year. Replace broken tiles and holes that can attract insects and catch trash.
Cleaning does not mean being overzealous. If no one has tested positive for COVID, you can limit your cleaning to once a day. Keep in mind that COVID spreads through the air more so than through objects.
Learn How to Start Cleaning and Sanitizing
It is not enough to throw a cleaning substance on an area and rub it down with a paper towel. You need to let a cleaner dry on the surface for a few seconds. This allows the chemicals in the cleaner to disperse and kill germs.
You may need to use a microfiber cloth instead of a paper towel. Microfiber products are absorbent and contain positive charges. You can clean most microfiber rags off with water and soap.
While you are using a cloth or towel, you should grip it lightly. Use circular gestures and cover all spots on the surface you are cleaning. Do not scrub or push into the surface, as you risk damaging it.
Respond to a mess or spill as soon as one occurs. You can use absorbent substances to contain a spill from spreading. After you have removed the spilled material, you should clean the surface the material was on.
Educate People on Maintaining a Healthy Environment
The easiest way to remove viruses is by never bringing them to work. Tell your employees to stay home if they are feeling sick. Educate them on the signs of common diseases, including the flu.
Leave supplies in common areas so employees can clean up their own messes. This includes leaving bottles of hand sanitizer out. Tell employees how they can disinfect all areas of their hands so they avoid spreading diseases.
Keep Your Employees Safe
You can create a healthy environment through simple steps. Read about the laws and cleaning standards that affect your business. Find cleaning products that help with different tasks, including breaking hard substances down.
Target high-touch areas. Remember that appliances and floors count. You should be comprehensive with your cleaning, replacing floors when they get worn down.
Allow disinfectants to dry before you clean them off. Educate your employees so they know when to stay home and how to clean.
Don’t stop getting help for your health. Read more workplace health guides by following our coverage.
