Workplace Commercial Cleaning Readiness & Re-Opening Guide

Executive Summary

Before you can re-open your business and resume operations, you must take proactive steps to provide a safe and healthy environment for your staff and customers. Since there is currently no approved vaccine for coronavirus (COVID-19), the best way to control it is to prevent it from spreading.

Your workplace checklist to prevent the spread of the coronavirus should include these strategies:

1. Prepare for re-opening
2. Controlling access
3. Social distancing plans
4. Cleaning and disinfecting
5. Communicating with employees and customers
6. Ongoing monitoring

Coronavirus is most frequently spread from human contact, but it can also survive on surfaces for a few hours or several days. As employees and customers start to re-enter your facility, make sure your facility is ready.

Prepare for Re-Opening

Preparing for re-opening means putting the plan in place.

1. Create a cross-functional team.
2. Redesign workspaces to maintain 6-foot separation between employees and make work area assignments.
3. Install physical barriers, such as panels, or Plexiglas for areas that cannot be separated.

Controlling Access

Access points should be controlled, especially if you are taking additional precautions, such as temperature screenings or requiring masks for entry.

1. Reconfigure lobby areas, customer service areas, or gathering places for social distancing.
2. Provide hand sanitizer stations, wipes, and personal protection equipment (PPE).
3. Replace touchscreens with signage.

Social Distancing Plans

Many companies are allowing employees to continue to work from home to reduce the number of people inside their facilities. Other businesses are alternating work weeks, staggering arrival and departure times, or shifting work hours.

1. Consider signage that directs foot traffic and remind people to socially distance.
2. Prohibit large gatherings.
3. Limit occupancy.

Cleaning and Disinfecting

One of the most important things you can do to maintain enhanced cleaning and disinfecting practices is to supply disinfectants such as wipes or sanitizer on or near each workstation or work area, especially in shared areas.

1. Create a cleaning and disinfecting plan that includes commercial cleaning services.
2. Clean and disinfect all workspace areas daily.
3. Pay particular attention to high-touch areas such as doorknobs, drawer handles, and light switches.
4. Use only EPA-approved disinfectant for coronavirus disinfection.

Remember that cleaning and disinfecting are two separate processes according to Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. Cleaning removes dirt and can reduce the spread of germs, but only disinfecting deactivates viruses.

Commercial cleaning services should be used for deep cleaning and coronavirus disinfection. For extra protection, some commercial cleaning services will also follow the Global Biorisk Advisory Council 6-step process for decontamination.

Communicate with Employees and Customers

The more confidence you can instill in your team members and customers, the more successful your reopening will be.

1. Provide clear workplace expectations
2. Communicate frequently and visibly
3. Demonstrate proactive approaches

Some commercial cleaning services can provide certification of disinfection per CDC guidelines.

Monitoring

Once you have reopened, employees can settle into a routine and forget to follow procedures, such as wiping down their work areas. Over time, people can relax their attitudes about social distancing when they are in familiar surroundings.

1. Monitor employee and customer traffic flow through your business, observe interactions and take additional precautions as needed.
2. Require strict adherence to cleaning and disinfecting routines, especially those targeting coronavirus disinfection.
3. Monitor employees for signs of illness and encourage team members to stay home when ill

Stay Informed

As situations evolve, monitor state and local guidelines as they pertain to your business. Many states have industry-specific policies that are more stringent than federal guidelines. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce keeps an up-to-date list of the current orders and guidelines for each state. If you are looking for more information, the CDC has a workplace decision tool to help guide you.

To Learn Even More About Re-Opening Download the Full Executive Report

We’ve put together a Workplace Readiness and Re-Opening Guide with best practices developed in alignment with recommendations from the CDC, OSHA, EPA, WHO, and ISSA.

Conclusion

Whether you call it coronavirus, COVID-19, or SARS-CoV2, we all have to do our part to prevent it from spreading. Even if employees are washing their hands with soap, practicing social distancing, and taking all the proper precautions, that alone will not provide a safe and healthy workplace. Frequent disinfection of high-touch areas and surfaces is recommended by the CDC and is becoming standard for all facilities.

OpenWorks provides award-winning national and commercial cleaning and janitorial services. The TotalWorksTM complete facilities care and disinfection plan delivers dependable CDC and industry-compliant facilities services that give you the peace of mind that your workplace is safe and healthy.

OpenWorks provides customized commercial cleaning services for a variety of industries that require specialization, including:

1. Education
2. Financial
3. Healthcare
4. Hospitality
5. Industrial
6. Office
7. Retail

OpenWorks maintains a 98% client retention rate versus the industry standard of 55% because it consistently exceeding expectations.

Contact OpenWorks to discuss your commercial cleaning and coronavirus disinfection needs.