As the pandemic hits the hospitality sector hard, we’ve seen pubs, restaurants, and hotels shut down. The government has now taken extreme measures as COVID-19 confirmed cases soar in the country and globally.

We’re seeing an increase in the need for the industrial and facilities management sectors, as the country relies heavier on the warehouses and e-commerce to deliver their goods to the doorsteps, as well as the need for cleaners to be able to assist other sectors with continual cleaning. 

Here are some recommendations from both the UK government and scientific reports to help you protect your customers and staff members, as well as keep your trade as safe as possible and reduce the spread of the virus. 

The top priority areas to stop COVID-19 spread

We know that the virus stays on surfaces up to 72-hours. But with a change of shifts and continuous movements of staff, even though reduced significantly, it still carries risks. Given that you have taken the main steps into account, ie. not letting anybody with symptoms work, distancing workers and making sure they avoid contact at any costs, as well as washing hands thoroughly and frequently for at least 2 minutes— here are the areas that need extra care.

  • Anywhere your staff operate, ranging from the main floor to locker rooms. 
  • Toilets
  • Dispensaries 

Frequency of cleaning your warehouse

Daily and shift by shift disinfection are highly recommended. As there’s an exchange of people working shifts, it is advised that the floor managers put in place a thorough cleaning session in between shifts. In case of any suspected virus symptoms showing up, make sure that you do not put any workers at risk and shut down the area for at least 72 hours before cleaning. Book your cleaning team as soon as you can to make sure you’re reducing the risk of spreading the virus in your business operations. 

Protective gear for your staff when disinfecting

In order to minimise staff contact with the virus, it is recommended that your staff wear disposable gloves or re-usable washing up gloves (making sure that they are washed frequently). The recommendation is to then double bag any of these cleaning and protective instruments and keep them separated for 72 hours, before throwing them away in the regular rubbish, leaving time for the virus to be inactive. 

If your staff is dealing with a heavily contaminated area, such as visible bodily fluids from a person with coronavirus, protecting the eyes, mouth, nose, as well as wearing an apron in addition to the gloves would offer more protection from the virus. 

Cleaning products to best kill Covid-19

By using regular household disinfectants, you will reduce the risk of staff members passing on the virus. Most products contain appropriate levels of active ingredients for disinfection. We also know that there is not just one sub-type of coronavirus. According to a scientific report published in the American Medical Journal, it was found that products containing 70% ethanol were best to help effectively against multiple types of coronaviruses. Therefore, it is important to pick products with the most effective germicides. To read more on the different active ingredients and germicides, you can read the recently published interim guide by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.