With the recent increase in the number of COVID-19 cases throughout the country, it’s important to remember that we all need to do our part to stay healthy and protect one another. One way you can do this is by keeping your work environment clean, safe, and healthy to prevent spreading or contracting the virus. ServiceMaster of Baltimore wants to share some tips to remind you of the best practices for disinfecting your office during COVID-19.
Important Ways To Prevent Germs
The best way to lessen your risk of contracting or spreading the COVID-19 virus is by preventing the spread of germs. This is done by making sure everyone in the office maintains a clean workspace and the employer maintains disinfection throughout the rest of the office. Using disinfectant wipes or a spray on your desk, phone, and keyboard daily kills germs before they have the chance to spread. Additional surfaces that should be cleaned and disinfected daily by the employer and/or cleaning staff include high-touch items, such as door handles (including refrigerator doors), elevator buttons, and light switches.
Employees can also contribute to preventing the spread of germs by frequently washing their hands, covering their mouths when they cough, and maintaining the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention social distancing guidelines of keeping a distance of at least six feet between one another. If anyone is feeling sick, they should be encouraged to stay home.
How Often You Should Disinfect Your Office
In order to know how often you should disinfect your office, it’s important to understand the difference between cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing. And they are all necessary for protecting yourself against the COVID-19 virus.
Cleaning a surface means that you’re removing things such as dirt and crumbs. Even though this will not kill any germs, it’s the first step in the process. Sanitizing surfaces means that the amount of germs have been lowered to a safe level (which will vary depending on the public health standards of your business). The best way to truly kill germs is by disinfection, which requires using chemicals, such as bleach and alcohol, and the chemicals must be kept on the surface long enough to remove the germs, viruses, or bacteria.
Although there are no set rules for disinfecting your work environment, if it’s done on a regular basis (even every day), it lessens the chance of any germs or bacteria spreading throughout the office. In areas where multiple people are working, disinfection can be done more often.
What To Do If Someone Gets Sick
Following the guidelines above, as well as the CDC’s guidelines, can help lessen the chance of getting sick by preventing the spread of germs and bacteria, but it’s not a guarantee. If someone enters your place of business with a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case, you’ll want to call the professionals, as everyone becomes at risk. At ServiceMaster of Baltimore, we pride ourselves on providing service to our customers that is above and beyond standard disinfection, and we’re available 24/7. Call us at 410-780-1700 to help you protect your office from spreading COVID-19 and other viruses.
