As we move further into the year, we’re still trying to learn how to coexist with coronavirus. Many states pushed to re-open early and are now dealing with massive spikes in cases, yet experts still say we’re in the first wave. For those that are currently re-opening, it’s important to do so as safely as possible while adhering to the recommendations put in place by the CDC. Remember, even though hand sanitizers and disinfectants are back in stock and people seem to be returning to a more “normal” life, it doesn’t mean that the pandemic is over. We need to continue to prioritize health and safety in our community to do our part in preventing the spread of coronavirus.
While there’s still a lot of conflicting information about transmission, facility managers still need to take the appropriate actions to keep your staff and clientele healthy and safe. To help make surer you’re doing what you can, here are a few protocols with details about what every facility manager needs to know about coronavirus.
1. Coronavirus Needs to be Taken Seriously
First and foremost, we need to make sure that we’re taking coronavirus seriously. Just because things are re-opening and people are trying to lead normal lives doesn’t mean that the pandemic has vanished. Yes, a lot of people experience mild symptoms but how your body will react is completely unpredictable. For elderly people and those with pre-existing conditions, coronavirus is much more serious. Remember, coronavirus still has a high mortality rate, spreads easily from person to person, and herd immunity is far, far away. We need to keep taking this pandemic seriously and avoid easing up on social distancing or professional-grade cleanings. The best way to keep moving forward and help flatten the curve for good is to stay cautionary and do what you can to keep your facility as clean as possible.
2. Transmission can Occur Through Surfaces
There’s still a lot of conflicting information that’s circulating, but it has been shown that coronavirus can spreard through contaminated surfaces. If you’re going to re-open, this means that you need to make sure that people aren’t getting exposed to the COVID-19 germs from high-touch surfaces in your facility. While health officials state that the primary way that coronavirus transmits is through respiratory droplets, these droplets can end up on surfaces. When someone proceeds to touch this surface and then inadvertently touches their eyes, nose, or mouth, they can catch the virus and get sick. Yes, there is still a lot of speculation about how long the virus can live on surfaces, but it’s not worth the risk. You need to make sure that you work to control as many variables as possible.
3. Infection Control is Possible
With that being said, infection control is possible. With the proper sanitization, you can kill the virus on surfaces and reduce the chance of transmission from person to person. Some of the best things you can do is to practice social distancing, make sure that your employees are wearing masks when in close quarters, and spend a lot of time cleaning and sanitizing high-touch areas of your facility. Some of the most common examples of high-touch surfaces include doorknobs and handles, handrails, tables or countertops, elevator buttons, faucets and sinks, and any other industry-specific areas that get a lot of traffic. You’ll need to implement a plan for the proper cleaning procedures, so they don’t get lost in the shuffle of everyday business and make sure that if an employee is not feeling well, they know better than to try and come into work. By taking small steps, we can make big strides in infection control.
If your re-opening, make sure that your employees are following the proper hand-washing procedures. Washing your handcs and using hand sanitizer are not the same and sanitizer should not be a replacement for proper washing.
4. Create a Protocol for Positive Coronavirus Cases
If someone in your facility has tested positive for coronavirus, make sure that you act accordingly. You will need to inform everyone in the building of the confirmation, and it’s recommended to have everyone get tested and self-isolate if they’re feeling any one of the varieties of coronavirus symptoms. We also recommend following the advice from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in terms of disinfecting your facility. Make sure to close off the area where the infected person was working until it can be disinfected properly. Open any doors or windows to allow for better ventilation in the facility and start disinfecting as soon as possible. Make sure that all hard and soft surfaces are cleaned and disinfected by professionals who are using the proper safety gear. To limit the potential spread, it’s probably the best idea to close your facility until the cleaning is completed and employees are tested.
5. Invest in High-Quality Professional Cleaners
For the best coronavirus management, invest in high-quality professional cleaners to come in regularly and sanitize your facility. Professional cleaners like the ones at Bee Line are trained to eradicate the coronavirus in a wide variety of facilities and will make sure that your employees stay safe and healthy during this time.
At Bee Line, we always go above and beyond the standard professional cleaning practices to ensure that your facility is free from bacteria, pathogens, and viruses. Bee Line is a woman-owned company certified as a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and was founded in 1997. We’re dedicated to hiring local job seekers out of the Chicago empowerment zip codes—neighborhoods with the highest unemployment rates—to ensure that everyone has access to the employment they deserve. We care about hiring quality employees and never subcontract. We require extensive background checks and reference checks, believe in organic growth from within the company, and always train our employees extensively. Because of our dedication to employee opportunity and advancement, we’ve grown from 200 employees to over 500 employees in recent years. Bee Line is committed to helping your facility stay clean, especially during our current pandemic problems with COVID-19. For more information on CDC recommendations for healthcare personnel during this time, click here.
Bee Line requires CMIP (Certificate of Mastery in Infection Prevention) Certified Management for many of our facility sites. These managers carry vast knowledge in microbiology, precautionary safety measures, and infection prevention throughout all stages of disinfection and train all cleaning staff on all infection prevention protocol.
If you’re worried about the spread of COVID-19 or other pathogens and healthcare associated infections in your facility contact Bee Line today. We’re one of the only cleaning companies to use Black Light auditing to make sure that no surface is left untouched. We’re also a proud partner with ImageFIRST, meaning we have a strict process for cleaning and managing supplies. This process is unique, yet effective. It guarantees that supplies are 99.9% clean of common pathogens, exceeds OSHA and CDC standards, and complies with Joint Commission Requirements. For more information on our coronavirus deep cleaning services that will help you open your facility as safely as possible during this pandemic, visit our COVID-19 page or request a quote today.
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