Short-term, eliminating the spread of COVID-19 is of paramount concern, but the long-term ramifications of the decisions made on how the pandemic is addressed will be felt for years to come.
Guidelines for Safer COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfection in the Workplace
As the dust finally begins to settle on the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 and concrete information regarding the nature and survivability of the virus is better understood, specific protocols that guide business decisions regarding cleaning and infection control programs can be developed.
The guidelines are necessary to eradicate the deadly pathogen that has wreaked havoc on the country and protect facility occupants from exposure to the deadly chemicals in disinfectant products and hand sanitizers.
The first step to creating a safer workplace while combatting COVID-19 and other pathogens is understanding the risk posed by commonly used products.
The Dangers of Chemical Disinfectants and Sanitizers
Something lost in the fear surrounding the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was how weak the virus physically is outside of the human body, how easy it is to kill with basic cleaning products, and how deadly incorrect use and overexposure to chemical disinfectants and sanitizers can be.
According to data recently collected and published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC);
During January–March 2020, poison centers received 45,550 exposure calls related to cleaners (28,158) and disinfectants (17,392), representing overall increases of 20.4% and 16.4% from January–March 2019 (37,822) and January–March 2018 (39,122), respectively.
Although NPDS data do not provide information showing a definite link between exposures and COVID-19 cleaning efforts, there appears to be a clear temporal association with increased use of these products.
The increase in total calls was seen across all age groups; however, exposures among children aged ≤5 years consistently represented a large percentage of total calls in the 3-month study period for each year (range = 39.9%–47.3%).
Further analysis of the increase in calls from 2019 to 2020 (3,137 for cleaners, 4,591 for disinfectants), showed that among all cleaner categories, bleaches accounted for the largest percentage of the increase (1,949; 62.1%), whereas nonalcohol disinfectants (1,684; 36.7%) and hand sanitizers (1,684; 36.7%) accounted for the largest percentages of the increase among disinfectant categories.
Inhalation represented the largest percentage increase from 2019 to 2020 among all exposure routes, with an increase of 35.3% (from 4,713 to 6,379) for all cleaners and an increase of 108.8% (from 569 to 1,188) for all disinfectants.
Direct exposure, consumption, or ingestion is not the only challenge.
Health officials have long understood the negative impact of over-exposure to disinfectants, many of which contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs);
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), concentrations of many VOCs are up to 10 times higher indoors than outdoors.
Excessive use of cleaning and disinfecting products (and more inhalation of these chemicals) may inadvertently create significant health risks for frontline workers and building occupants.
This is an especially grave risk for the 1-in-13 Americans with asthma — a group that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified as high-risk for COVID-19.
Choosing safer products that do not contain asthmagens or respiratory irritants is critical for protecting this high-risk group.
Creating a Cleaning and Disinfection Plan
The next step is to create a cleaning and disinfection plan that addresses SARS-CoV-2's survivability outside of the human body.
SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped virus, making it highly susceptible to deactivation with regular soap and water and unable to survive long-term on surfaces in direct sunlight.
This means that constant high levels of disinfection of every surface inside a facility is unnecessary. It presents increased long and short-term health risks, and disinfecting most outdoor areas is highly impractical and a waste of limited resources.
A more practical approach is to:
- Clean occupied areas of a facility every day with a commercial-grade soap-based detergent approved for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
- Use a day porter to wipe down high-touch germ hotspots with an EPA-registered disinfectant wipe.
- Clean outdoors areas with standard cleaning equipment, such as brooms, soap and water, and microfiber towels, but don't disinfect--except outdoor dining areas for restaurants, or high-contact plastic and metal surfaces in playgrounds or other public spaces, and;
- Consider removing unused or difficult to clean and disinfect furniture from facilities, such as couches, tables, chairs, computer equipment, and TVs while the pandemic is still widespread.
Use Safer Cleaning Products
Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) has been a huge challenge for U.S. businesses for years--resulting in illness, low-productivity, reduced cognitive functions, and a wide range of health and wellness issues.
One of the primary sources of indoor air pollution and low IAQ is the VOCs off-gassed by commercial disinfectants.
This challenge can be met by employing safer use products approved by the EPA for eliminating SARS-CoV-2, which contain the active ingredients:
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Citric acid
- Lactic acid
- Ethyl alcohol
- Peroxyacetic acid, or
- Hypochlorous acid
Additional takeaways from current trends in regards to ensuring maximum occupant health and wellness while protecting everyone involved include:
- Emphasizing the use of soap and water over hand sanitizer when possible
- Only using foggers and electrostatic-disinfection appliances in unoccupied spaces and per EPA guidelines and manufacturer recommendations
- Communicating the chemicals and processes used to clean and disinfect the facility to all invested parties, including workers, guests, and customers
Takeaway
Combatting the constant and rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 has been an enormous challenge--one that has been met with missteps and oversights that have resulted in preventable exposure to hazardous chemicals.
Eliminating the virus safely and effectively is possible with the proper training of, and communication to, relevant parties.
Outsourcing your organization's cleaning and infection prevention and control requirements to an experienced service provider is a proven method for ensuring the highest facility health and hygiene standards.
If you would like more information regarding the effectiveness of high-performance infection prevention and control measures, or if you would like to schedule a free, no-obligation onsite assessment of your facility's custodial needs, contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Fresno CA, call (559) 206-1059
In Valencia CA, or Santa Clarita CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Palmdale CA, or Lancaster CA, call (661) 371-4756
