How to clean and disinfect your workplace

Statewide Project

15/01/2022

COVID-19 Cleaning

Cleaning during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 spreads through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. A person can acquire the virus by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or eyes.

A key way you can protect workers and others from the risk of exposure to COVID-19 is by implementing appropriate cleaning and disinfecting measures for your workplace. A combination of cleaning and disinfection will be most effective in removing the COVID-19 virus.

It is highly recommended that workplaces are be cleaned at least daily. More frequent cleaning may be required in some circumstances. For example, if your workplace operates in shifts, Created: 30 April 2020 swa.gov.au/coronavirus workplaces should be cleaned between shifts. If equipment is shared between workers, it should be cleaned between uses, where practicable.

Cleaning with detergent and water is sufficient. Once clean, surfaces can be disinfected. When and how often your workplace, or certain surfaces, should be disinfected will depend on the likelihood of contaminated material being present. This would include any time there has been a case or suspected case of COVID-19 at the workplace, or at workplaces with a high volume of workers, customers or visitors that are likely to touch surfaces.

Cleaning and disinfecting solutions

Cleaning and disinfecting are two different processes:

Cleaning means to physically remove germs (bacteria and viruses), dirt and grime from surfaces using a detergent and water solution. A detergent is a surfactant that is designed to break up oil and grease with the use of water. Anything labelled as a detergent will work.

Disinfecting means using chemicals to kill germs (bacteria and viruses) on surfaces. It’s important to clean before disinfecting because dirt and grime can reduce the ability of disinfectants to kill germs. Disinfectants containing ≥ 70% alcohol, quaternary ammonium compounds, chlorine bleach or oxygen bleach are suitable for use on hard surfaces (that is, surfaces where any spilt liquid pools, and does not soak in). These will be labelled as ‘disinfectant’ on the packaging. Where there is uncertainty, the manufacturers or importing suppliers of the substance should be contacted for advice.

Health authorities recommend using a 1000 ppm bleach (sodium hypochlorite) solution to disinfect hard surfaces. For routine workplace cleaning in a non-healthcare workplace, physical cleaning with water and detergent is sufficient. Water and physical effort alone will not kill the COVID-19 virus.

A combination of cleaning and disinfection will be most effective in removing the COVID-19 virus in workplaces when cleaning after a person with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 has recently been at the workplace. Note: Disinfectants require sufficient contact time to be effective.

It is paramount to regularly clean & disinfect your workplace to minimise the transmission of COVID. It is always easier to maintain a routine cleaning schedule than to deal with a sudden COVID outbreak due to a lack of regular cleans.

Jason Zhao

It is highly recommended that workplaces are be cleaned at least daily. More frequent cleaning
may be required in some circumstances. For example, if equipment is shared between workers,
it should be cleaned between uses, where practicable.
More frequent disinfection may be required at workplaces with a high volume of workers,
customers or visitors that are likely to touch surfaces.

Reference: https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-04/how-to-clean-disinfect-your-workplace-covid19

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COVID-19 Cleaning

Gavin Myers

Gavin is a commercial cleaning specialist here at Statewide. He also manages all social media as well as website content.