The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has made everyone a lot more conscious of health and hygiene. As people grapple with “the new normal” and go about their lives adjusting to the change that the pandemic has brought about, institutions and companies are incorporating changes to deal with the changing times.
Whether it is residential or commercial cleaning services, the demand for cleaning services in Melbourne has increased. One such sector where this is especially prevalent is in the field of education. Opting for professional school cleaning services can offer parents, teachers, school management, and even students peace of mind and increase the productivity of operations as people can feel safe in the school environment.
With the pandemic poses a serious health risk, a few more precautions need to be taken by schools in terms of their level of school cleaning.
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Being well informed is the first step
The first and most important precaution that schools need to take is to ensure that they have an educational program or workshop that takes members of the staff, management, and even students through information about the coronavirus, what its effects are, and how we can protect ourselves from it.
There is a lot of misinformation being spread about the virus online, so it’s important that no assumptions are made about how much people know about the situation. It must be mandatory for everyone to attend the session, and for this, the right information needs to be put together. Implementing school cleaning becomes a lot easier when others understand why it is important and are willing to cooperate.
Keep the masks on
Before worrying about the different surfaces of the school environment that need to be cleaned, it’s crucial to make sure that the spread of the virus is restricted, and this requires everyone to keep their masks on even when they’re inside the school campus. The management should make it a point to ensure that students are aware of how to wear a mask as well as which type of mask is the safest to use.
Social distancing is essential, even in the school environment
Don’t just forget about the social distancing requirements in school. While it may not be a situation of lockdown where people just remain indoors, it is still important to maintain physical distance with people in schools so that a safer environment is created. This can be done through the very positioning of chairs and tables in classrooms.
School cleaning and disinfecting must happen regularly
School cleaning and disinfecting are necessary to keep everyone visiting the school campus safe and healthy. While cleaning with water and soap can get rid of dirt and most germs, disinfecting makes use of a chemical product to kill germs that may have been residing on surfaces. Make sure you are making use of only EPA approved disinfectants to kill the virus.
Some areas that you need to pay specific attention to are:
- Light switches
- Bookshelves
- Children’s play areas
- Faucet handles
- Doorknobs
- Trash bins
- Art supplies
- Drawer and cabinet handles
- Cafeteria tables
- Toilet flush
- Cleaning and disinfection of school buses
These are all high contact surfaces where there are greater chances of the virus spreading. Make sure that a disinfectant is used at regular intervals to kill the germs in these high-risk areas.
It is also important that all water fountains are turned off and that nobody uses them.
Maintain sanitising stations
Positioning sanitising stations in places that can give students easy access to hand sanitisers will make it possible for students, teachers, and other school personnel to reduce their risk of contracting the virus.
These stations can be placed in classrooms, hallways, school gym facilities, the cafeteria, and near several high touch surfaces so that sanitiser may be used to kill germs and prevent the spread of the virus.
Encourage hand washing
Germs can be killed with regular hand washing, so encourage everyone on campus to make sure they wash their hands frequently. Using soap to wash is essential if you want to reduce the risk of the virus spreading.
These precautions can help schools adapt to the new way of the world where masks, hand sanitisers, and maintaining a safe distance from others has become the new normal.
