Critical Factors for Proper COVID-19 Disinfection

The novel coronavirus continues to present a threat to business operations. Under the “new normal,” it’s crucial to implement higher levels of sanitation and ensure that your business can safely open. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation spreading about both the virus itself and how to prevent its transmission. Here is a thorough overview of how to create an effective reopening plan with proper disinfection procedures so you can continue with business as “usual”.

Understanding the Spread and Prevention of Coronavirus

The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) causes the disease COVID-19, which may have respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological effects. While there are many coronaviruses in existence, this particular coronavirus is relatively new to the world and presents new challenges for treatment. The good news is that the virus is easily destroyed outside the body by soap and water and a range of disinfectant products.

This is why proper sanitation and disinfection techniques are crucial to preventing the spread of the virus. Coronavirus has been shown to live on commonly touched surfaces, such as doorknobs, ATMs, and handrails, for days. Additionally, people tend to transmit the virus to each other via respiratory droplets or unwashed hands. Taken together, this means that businesses should implement social distancing, mask requirements, regular cleaning of public surfaces, and easy access to hand sanitation.

Creating Your Plan of Action

The first step toward reopening your business safely is to audit your physical premises and operational procedures for anything that might increase the risk of coronavirus transmission. This includes any commonly touched surfaces, queues where people may cluster together, or soft, porous materials (especially in seating) that may be hard to disinfect.

Next, assess your cleaning schedule and how you can incorporate regular sanitization into it. If you typically leave the cleaning to a morning shift by your janitorial staff, consider training your daytime staff to regularly wipe down surfaces on an hourly basis. You may also need to set up hand sanitizer stations, especially if staff and customers don’t have easy access to soap and water.

A Proven Disinfection Process

To thoroughly sanitize surfaces and promote hygiene in your business, it takes more than bleach wipes and a bottle of antimicrobial spray. If you rely on household products or improperly clean surfaces, you risk giving coronavirus a chance to resurface in your workplace. Here’s the proven process needed to eradicate coronavirus on surfaces and reduce the rate of transmission. Your business can be as clean as a hospital if you follow the below process.

1. Use medical and industrial grade equipment and chemicals to sanitize non-porous surfaces. HEPA vacs and steam cleaners may be used on porous surfaces.
2. Use UVC air sanitizers and HEPA hog to eradicate airborne droplets that may carry coronavirus.
3. Have a Certified Industrial Hygienist on hand to test employees for COVID-19.
4. Conduct ATP testing to measure the sanitation level of surfaces.

This four-step process ensures that your business is fully implementing a cleaning and testing protocol. By using industrial-grade supplies, you can achieve better, safer results for your employees and customers. To put this proven process into action, you need a Certified Disinfection Provider.

Choosing a Certified Disinfection Provider

Even with social distancing measures in place, disinfection is still key to preventing coronavirus transmission. There are a lot of misconceptions about how to properly sanitize surfaces. For example, it is not true that UVB light or sunlight automatically destroys the virus, although the virus does not survive as long on warm surfaces. Any alcohol-based disinfectant must be at least 60 percent alcohol, and you should never mix different cleaning agents together or use them in a way that is not directed. The challenge of developing an effective sanitation routine means that many businesses have turned to expert disinfection services. Otherwise, they risk an increased spread of coronavirus on surfaces and in the air of their business.

Certified disinfection providers use FDA-approved disinfectant products in a proper manner. They will select the most appropriate product for your business, based on its strength and any side effects that exposure may cause. For example, a youth-oriented business and a restaurant have different sanitation needs, and any disinfectant products used must present minimal risk to those who may be exposed to them.

All cleaning protocols must also be fine-tuned to the volume and behavior of people within the premises. A certified disinfection service will be able to effectively plan and execute the protocol that’s best for your business’s unique needs. Plus, you can ensure that products are safely and lawfully applied in a way that reduces risk of viral transmission.

Conclusion

Reopening your business safely comes down to proper sanitation and disinfection. If you’re concerned about the cost and challenges of implementing new protocols, look for a certified disinfection provider who can help your business operate under the “new normal.” By choosing a service that takes your unique needs into consideration, you can minimize risk to your customers and staff and move forward with confidence that your business offers a safe environment.