The recent mandates that resulted in the closures of many businesses in the US due to the coronavirus pandemic have massive reaching effects.  Now that many of the lockdowns are slowly being lifted and businesses are getting back up and running, several precautions will be needed to be followed in your facility management in order to have a safe reopening.

If America as a country is to move forward, our businesses need to reopen.  And as such, this will require several strategies that will need to be put into place on a public health level.  Some of the more noted strategies will include: social distancing, continued virus testing, tracking of contact, and isolation.

In order to effectively clean and disinfect those public areas that are the most highly targeted, such as workplaces, home, school, and major businesses, we will need to keep the following in mind:

Develop A Plan

Everything in life goes smoother and more organized when a plan is developed and put into place.  In the case of battling coronavirus and reopening safely during a pandemic, this premise is no less real.  The most vital part of achieving a safe reopening during a pandemic is that of making sure that everything is being done to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus.  For any plan to work, each and every individual must work to play their part in the war to eliminate the spread of COVID-19, whether that be through social distancing, the mandated wearing of masks, and the frequent washing of hands or use of hand sanitizer.

Implement The Plan

After you have a strong and viable plan in place, you will next need to implement that plan.  It has been reported, via the EPA, that if the proper disinfectants are used, the COVID-19 virus can, in fact, be killed.  The products that are suggested and approved for use are those of concentrates, wipes, and sprays that are ready to use.  Each of the products that the EPA has suggested has been tested and shown to work against even those viruses that are much harder to irradicate than the viruses associated with COVID-19.

Revise To Maintain The Plan

For any plan to be effective, it is essential that a routine for that plan not only be put into place, but it is maintained as well.  An overall general framework for the effective cleaning and disinfecting of areas such as workplaces need to be put into place.  To achieve this, it is suggested that:

• With the maintenance of routine and constant cleaning of a workplace, with such items as soap and water and disinfectants, there will be a substantial reduction of the amount of virus that will be present on both surfaces and objects. This will, in turn, lead to aid in the significant reductions in the risk of exposure to the said virus.
• When choosing to use those disinfectants proven to work in the battle against COVID1-19, the results will show with a significant reduction in any risk of exposure. When disinfecting, it is crucial that those areas that are touched on a regular basis are frequently cleaned.
• If at anytime those disinfectants approved by the EPA are not readily available, there are alternatives that will work in a pinch. A solution consisting of 1/3 cup of bleach to one gallon of water is a workable disinfectant.  You also have the option of using alcohol solutions as long as they 70% or more alcohol, which will yield good results.

There are some important takeaways that will need to be kept in mind when it comes to your facility’s management during a reopening.  The coronavirus is believed to take hours, if not days, before it becomes inert on almost any surfaces, and that the exposure to a higher temperature, as well as sunlight, will work to significantly reduce the overall transference of the virus from a surface or an object to an individual.