With so much news coverage in these past few months focusing on the global Coronavirus outbreak, it can feel a bit overwhelming as to what measures you should be taking to protect yourself, your family and your co-workers from the disease.
The important thing to remember is to not panic and ensure that you and the people around you are following good hygiene practices in order to prevent the spread of the virus.
Germs and bacteria can spread very quickly in a busy workplace environment with so many people having to share kitchens, lunchrooms, bathrooms and close working quarters.
It has been widely suggested that companies should encourage staff to work from home while the outbreak continues. This is an excellent tactic for preventing the spread of the virus. However, working from home is not a feasible option for many types of businesses such as retail, hospitality and manufacturing.
In this blog post, we take a look at some hygiene and cleaning tips that all workplaces can benefit from during this outbreak.
Some basic precaution practices to follow in the workplace:
1. Actively encourage staff to practice good personal hygiene. Washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds should take place:
• After visiting the toilet.
• Before and after eating.
• Before and after shaking hands. Better yet, avoid shaking hands if possible.
Ensure that you supply staff with plenty of hand soap as well as single use paper towels to dry their hands with. Properly drying your hands is key to stopping the spread of germs. Moist hands touching a doorknob on the way out of the bathroom or kitchen are the perfect storm of re-contamination, making clean hands germ-covered again.
Staff should also turn off the tap once they are finished washing their hands with a paper towel instead of touching the tap directly.
It’s also a good idea to supply staff with bottles of alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of microbes on hands in some situations, but sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs. Washing hands with soap and water is best. But hand sanitizer is a good option for when your staff are on the go and it’s inconvenient for them to wash their hands.
2. Instruct team members that if they are sick to not attend the workplace. If possible, the team member may be able to work from home.
3. Ensure regular cleaning is undertaken by trained and experienced cleaners. If your workplace is being cleaned less than every day, then it may be prudent to increase the frequency of professional cleaning at your workplace while the Coronavirus outbreak remains active.
4. Ensure that your cleaners are using commercial grade chemical cleaning solutions at the right dilution rate. Or better yet, are using the Tersano (SAO) cleaning system as recommended.
Should I ask my staff members to wear masks while at work?
Australia's chief medical officer Brendan Murphy, speaking to SBS News, has stated: “There is no need for the Australian public to wear masks. The only people who should wear masks in relation to this virus are those who are unwell and have a relevant travel history."
Wearing masks is more beneficial if you have a virus and don’t want to pass it on than to prevent catching anything. If someone in your workplace is ill, then they should not be at work to begin with.
Additionally, if you know that any of your staff members have recently travelled to any of the countries where the outbreak is significant, ensure they are following any Government recommendations in relation to self-quarantining themselves.
There are more effective ways to prevent the spread of a virus in the workplace without wearing a mask. This includes avoiding touching your face which causes bacteria to get close to your eyes and nose.
How can I be sure that areas in my workplace have been properly disinfected?
The only way to be confident that high-risk areas, such as your workplace bathrooms and kitchens have been properly disinfected, is to engage trained and experienced cleaners.
All contamination sources need to be removed from a surface before disinfection. Cleaners will then disinfect all commonly touched surfaces using a specialised disinfectant.
All surfaces must be left to air dry before they can be completely disinfected.
What should I do if one of my staff has Coronavirus or is suspected of having it?
In the event of a Coronavirus infection or suspected case in your workplace, all surfaces need to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. This procedure needs to be carried out by trained and experienced cleaners who will need to comply with the following:
• All loose dirt and contaminants are to be removed from the workplace. This will include ALL surfaces to be cleaned, all floors to be cleaned including steam cleaning of carpets and upholstery and deep cleaning of hard floors. Carpets and upholstery are to be cleaned using a specific cleaning sanitiser.
• ALL surfaces, excluding carpet and upholstery, are to be disinfected using a specialised disinfectant.
• Carpets and upholstery to be treated with a disinfectant spray after steam cleaning.
• Sealed hard floors to have sealer reapplied if needed and treated with a disinfectant spray.
Does your workplace need some additional cleaning services?
With so much uncertainty surrounding the outbreak of the Coronavirus, it’s important to ensure we all maintain good hygiene practices whether we’re in public, in the workplace or in our homes.
If you feel that your workplace could benefit from some additional commercial cleaning services, even if it’s just on a short-term basis, talk to the team at In-Tec. Our highly trained cleaners are proficient in disinfection and always use hospital-grade cleaning solutions.
To request a quote, simply click here to get in touch.