Workplace cleaning – best practices

Faced with a health risk, regular and rigorous cleaning of your workplace is vital to keep your employees safe. Below are some best practices to protect the health of everyone, employees and visitors alike.

Increase the frequency of cleaning

It’s essential to carry out regular cleaning of all floors, as well as objects and equipment present in your workplace. According to the WHO, COVID-19 can survive for up to 72 hours on plastic and stainless steel, less than 4 hours on copper and less than 24 hours on cardboard.

Pay attention to contact points

To avoid any risk of contamination, regular disinfection of all your contact points is particularly important:

• Door handles, sliding doors, stair railings
• Switches, telephones, electronic devices
• Lift and exit buttons
• Push buttons and toilet flushes
• Dispenser touch screens
• Water fountain buttons

Ideally, each employee should be equipped with individual wipes to disinfect each contact point they have touched.

Don’t forget the floors!

Floors should be cleaned daily, then rinsed using water and a disposable cloth. Sufficient drying and ventilation time is also advisable.

Choose the right maintenance products, machines and cleaning accessories

Check your detergents

Traditional detergents are very effective against viruses. Make sure these products contain at least 70% alcohol or bleach.

Finally, make sure that you have the right product for each surface and workspace, especially for:

• Plastic floors
• Carpets
• Parquet floors
• Tiles
• Desks
• Toilets
• The kitchen and catering area

Provide a colour code

When cleaning try to avoid using the same equipment on different surfaces. Use a colour code system and provide a different set of cleaning equipment (cloths, sponges, mops, etc.) for each area to prevent cross-contamination.

Opt for wet cleaning

To decrease the risk of infection you should opt for wet cleaning as this method prevents microorganisms present on surfaces from being suspended in the air. Try to avoid using dusting cloths so as not to be tempted to shake them. Choose pre-soaked wipes, steam cleaners, single-disc scrubbers, hot water generators or wet and dry vacuum cleaners.

Think about ergonomics

Cleaning routines have increased considerably therefore ergonomic equipment should be made available to all cleaning staff. The aim is to prevent MSDs (musculoskeletal disorders), but also to enable quick and efficient cleaning.

Ergonomic cleaning trolleys, pick-up clamps and telescopic poles meet this objective perfectly.

What to do if the premises become infected?

In the event of a case being detected on your premises, it is essential to ventilate the room or rooms for several hours before cleaning.

Once the area is well ventilated, use a product that complies with the virucidal standard NF EN 14476. For example, 2.6% bleach diluted in 4 litres of cold water will give a very effective result. Avoid using this type of product every day, because if used too often, a highly disinfectant product loses its effectiveness and provides a false sense of security.

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