On Sunday, the UK government altered its messaging over coronavirus lockdown in England. There has been some confusion about what exactly the ‘Stay alert, Control the virus, Save lives’ slogan actually means. However, one thing remains crystal clear: the importance of continuing to implement deep cleaning and decontamination at workplaces which may have been exposed to the virus. Nowhere is this more important than in hospitals and healthcare facilities. Every day, key workers in the NHS and care homes are putting themselves at risk to care for people who are infected with the virus and displaying symptoms of Covid-19. Therefore, it’s vital for all employers in the sector to be taking all possible steps to protect their workers as well as their service users. In this blog, we’ll be looking in more detail at how React can deliver hospital and healthcare deep cleaning and decontamination to help do just that.
Assessing the scale of the problem
Whether we’re working with hospitals and healthcare facilities on a regular basis or ad hoc, our approach is the same. Our team will arrive on-site following instructions from managers at the facility. Our operatives are trained to the highest standards and are security cleared. They will always act in a manner appropriate to working in or near public locations, and with discretion and respect.
We have a simple methodology of ‘test, clean, disinfect and test again’. We swab and test a number of high-touch areas for traces of pathogen, using ATP testing. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is an enzyme that is present in all living cells, an ATP monitoring system detects the amount of organic matter present before and after cleaning, some of which may be harmful pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2.
ATP testing has become a global standard in the healthcare and food preparation industry where hygiene is critical. It, therefore, has strong efficacy in other environments, which is why React has made the technology a key part of its deep cleaning and hygiene services over the last several years.
Hospital and healthcare deep cleaning and decontamination in action
The team lead will check and prepare sanitising equipment following the industry standards, and we’ll display warning signs near the area to be disinfected. We’ll make sure to complete risk assessments, COSHH assessments and method statements to be clear and transparent about what we’re doing. The team will only enter a room once equipped with the correct Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); as a minimum, this comprises Hazmat Cat 3 suit, A1P2 mask and two pairs of disposable gloves.
It’s important to follow a two-step process of cleaning and disinfection. Cleaning hard surfaces first with soap and water, and then with disinfectant, is shown to be effective in killing the virus. The combination of soap and water disables the oily surface coat of the virus (the ‘envelope’), leaving it with no way of infecting a host cell. We’ll clean and disinfect all objects that are visibly contaminated, for example with body fluids. And we’ll focus particularly on all potentially contaminated high-contact areas such as toilets, door handles, and telephones.
Our team will correctly follow recognised disinfection safety protocols in terms of fluids and disinfection methods. We deploy ULV (Ultra Low Volume) fogging and pump spraying where appropriate, always following agreed procedures and manufacturers’ recommendations.
Cleaning up after ourselves for end-to-end protection
React is a licensed waste carrier, and we’ll dispose of any material contaminated with Covid-19 coronavirus, as well as all cleaning materials such as discarded single-use PPE, following strict government controls. The team lead will complete waste transfer notes or consignment notes depending on the waste which is generated and removed. Finally, we’ll get the work completion note signed by site staff, and where necessary, we’ll forward all appropriate paperwork to head office for processing.
With our hospital and healthcare deep cleaning and decontamination services, employers can take positive steps to tackle the effects of coronavirus infection. Of course, we all play our part in protecting the NHS and saving lives during this pandemic. Here at React, we’re particularly aiming to support the healthcare workers in the frontline and reduce the risks they face each and every day.
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Contact one of the team today to find out more about our hospital and healthcare deep cleaning and decontamination services.
Telephone: 01283 550 503
Email: info@reactplc.co.uk
Website: www.reactsc.co.uk
Post by Shaun D. Doak
Shaun is the CEO of React Group plc., a business dedicated to specialist cleaning, hygiene and decontamination. He is deeply committed to making sure that every one of our company’s clients receives the highest possible level of service. An expert in HVAC and commercial and industrial cleaning methodologies, Shaun has extensive experience in the facilities management and renewable services sector.