Today, especially in light of us as a nation working amid COVID 19, creating and maintaining clean work environments, and healthy and safe work environments have never been so important.
Cleaning and disinfecting workplace facilities form the two main types of maintenance work required to support safe and healthy workplaces.
Where cleaning helps remove all of the dirt, grime, dust, and debris, disinfecting workplaces is required to kill 99.9999% of viruses and germs, reducing the risk of cross-contamination from departments and surfaces.
How often should you disinfect your workplace?
This does depend on you and your work environment – how much it is used and how often.
However, high contact and high touch areas should be regularly cleaned and disinfected, ideally after each touch. Areas such as light switches, door handles, countertops, desks, stairwell handrails, lift buttons, etc.
We advise these areas to be disinfected, as well as cleaned, to ultimately stop the spread of infection. Reducing the risk of transmission via touch by breaking the chain of bacteria growth.
Office cleaning services, York
Unfortunately, germs and viruses can build up on workplace surfaces, so we must keep them as clean as possible – especially during the current pandemic.
Equipment such as telephones, computer screens, keyboards, desks, mouse, headsets, etc., should all be cleaned regularly, using disinfectants and cleaners suitable for the surface they are being applied to.
Disinfecting your workplace facility is vital when we know that viruses and bacteria can live on surfaces and still be passed to people between 2 and 8 hours after they have been initially deposited there.
With this in mind, how clean is your office?
Disinfecting workplaces safely
There are several guidelines and regulations from the Health and Safety Executive relating to keeping workplaces clean, safe, and healthy.
Following these set guidelines and carrying out your own risk assessments and putting in place robust cleaning procedures is key.
Before getting started with any workplace cleaning or disinfecting, a cleaning assessment should be carried out, helping to identify:
- How frequently are certain surfaces touched?
- Who/what comes into contact with different areas of the business?
- Are there any hazards to be aware of in the disinfectant being supplied?
It’s recommended that high touch areas, like those we have previously mentioned, be disinfected regularly, with lower touch areas having cleaning frequency reduced slightly.
This approach allows for more structure and focus, keeping costs reasonable and a healthy and safe work environment high.
Always read and follow the instructions on disinfectants, especially when considering some of the surfaces these will be applied to. Most disinfectants do need to be diluted with water, or in some instances, rinsed down with water after use.
Chlorine bleach solutions and suitable disinfectants should be used to kill germs and bacteria and stop them in their tracks. Anyone using these products should also always wear gloves, protecting hands when working with these strong chemicals.
You must also ensure good ventilation and use no more than the required amount of disinfectant for the area in question. Avoid mixing chemicals and make sure they are stored away safely after use.
Sources of contamination
Germs and infections are spread when someone touches a contaminated surface and then touches their face.
Germs can also spread when someone coughs or sneezes, and another person then touches a surface that these droplets (that have come from the cough or sneeze) have landed on – and again, they then go on to touch their face also.
That is why frequent hand washing, alongside cleaning, should be encouraged, as it is the best way to stop the spread of infections and germs.
Workplace cleaning to be COVID secure
- Make sure all surfaces and touchpoints are cleaned and disinfected thoroughly
- Promote regular and thorough handwashing
- Promote open and honest communication
- Promote good respiratory hygiene
- Scale meetings down – minimum numbers work best (or ideally virtual meetings where possible)
- Plan and continually monitor it.
Trust us when we say that robust cleaning procedures can make a big difference.
If your workplace is suspect to COVID 19:
- Close off the area in question
- Open windows where possible
- Wait 24 hours before any cleaning and disinfecting is carried out
- Clean and disinfect ALL areas
- Vacuum and clean all soft surfaces/furnishings.
Once properly disinfected, your workplace is again ready for use, and routine office cleaning should continue after that.
The CDC offers extensive guidance, which all cleaning operatives at Clear Choice adhere to and understand in full, so you have complete peace of mind that your workplace cleaning in York is in good hands.
At Clear Choice, we’re here to support you in your mission to keep all employees safe while at work.
If you want excellent office cleaning services in York, call us on 01132 711432 to see how we can get, and keep, your workplace environment hygienically clean.
Reference video: 32BJTrainingFund
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