CLEANING
Take a look at the image. The disinfectant would be applied from point nine – the toilet, to point one – the door, providing the recommended contact time. The operative then commences cleaning from the least contaminated area (the door), working to the toilet cubicle area with the toilet itself being the final piece of furniture to be cleaned.
BICSc strongly recommends paying particular attention to key touchpoints, which may vary depending on the facility. In general office facilities, the key touchpoints include but are not limited to these areas: door furniture; lift control panels; handrails; photocopier control panels; kitchenette equipment; and washrooms.
“Be aware of the key touchpoints in your workplace, particularly in shared areas.”
By folding a wipe correctly this can stop you coming into direct contact with multiple surfaces and help to contain any infection safely. BICSc recommends folding a cloth to provide eight workable surfaces. This means that potentially eight different surfaces can be cleaned without the risk of contamination, keeping both cleaning staff and employees safe from infection.
For office users, there will also be significant changes on returning to the workplace. Initially, we will need to differentiate between our personal space and the spaces that we share, as these will carry different levels of risk. Additionally, this will depend on both the building itself and the number of people that we work alongside – this is likely to be a very different model on our return to work than that we left behind in March.
Our personal space can be categorised as the area that only we have direct contact with: our desks, pedestals, drawers and chairs. Remember the key touchpoints in your own workspace though, such as telephones, keyboards, computers and calculators. Make sure to be clear – are these dedicated to your personal workspace, or shared?
The use of the correct wipe with a suitable viricidal product can ensure these items remain safe and infection-free. Providing quality cleaning products for staff to use is therefore essential. The occupiers should be made aware of the importance of good handwashing techniques and the cleaning and disinfection of items that they frequently use to minimise any risk.
There are however far more shared workspaces, such as reception, stairways, lifts, corridors, meeting rooms, washrooms or kitchenettes. Think for a moment, how many contact points you touch just on the way to your desk? The new normal will see less dense population of these areas. However, key contact points are still the areas of greatest risk for the transmission of bacteria.
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Whilst personal protective equipment (PPE) plays a role in minimising infection, equally an efficiently and effectively cleaned workplace is key to breaking the chain of infection. Remember: if you’re wearing gloves, the surface of these could be contaminated and this could then be spread as you move through the building.
There’s no need for huge investment but rather look at utilising products that you already have. The placement of hand towel dispensers in entrance areas would give easy access to paper towels to protect users from potential contamination on surfaces. Also, providing disposable paper towels or wipes with the correct disinfectant spray, allows people to clean shared surfaces, protecting themselves and others.
So, as multiple additional cleaning operatives will not always be feasible, how can building users stay safe?
Point one: Be aware of the key touchpoints in your workplace, particularly in shared areas, and support the cleaning protocols in place.
Point two: Ensure, where possible, that efficient hand washing is carried out after contact with these key points. Remember drying your hands thoroughly is an important factor for infection prevention – a paper towel can remove some of the bacteria that could remain after hand washing by its abrasive action.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15796287/
Point three: Use a tissue, paper towel or wipe as a barrier between these common touchpoints and skin contact to prevent spreading contamination.
“It’s now more vital that robust
training programmes are effectively cascaded through the cleaning workforce – and even to all staff.”
BICSc summarises that the most important point to remember for everyone (not just the cleaning team) is that everyone must play their part. We must all take responsibility by following simple steps to prevent the spread of contamination. With this, it has never been more essential to provide the right cleaning and hygiene products, along with signage and communication tools to educate workers how to use them correctly and safely.
For more advice and support, visit the 360-degree Workplace Hygiene and Protection website from Kimberly-Clark Professional below. You can book a free Virtual Hygiene Walk with an expert and they will take you through your own workplace, identifying critical hotspots and the correct hand hygiene and surface hygiene products to protect your staff, customers and visitors.
https://home.k
professional.com/uk/workplacehygiene
home.kcprofessional.com
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