Cleaning and Disinfection - Entorn Urbà i Salut

Equipments

Cleaning and Disinfection

CONTEXT

Cleaning is a routine activity that can deteriorate the quality of interior air, depending on which products are used. Compliance with the cleaning protocols defined for the various types of facilities helps prevent health problems like the transmission of infectious and contagious diseases. The various spaces of facilities have different degrees of cleaning requirements in accordance with the type of service that is provided: healthcare, food, sport, etc. They also vary in accordance with the type of group using the building and the frequency of use of each one of its spaces. The products used in the cleaning of the facility must be professional grade and have their corresponding safety sheets.

An effective cleaning system removes debris, waste and bacteria, avoiding the dispersion of contaminants and the contact of the occupants with potential contamination points.

OBJECTIVE

• Reduce the physical, chemical and biological contamination of the interior environment of the facilities.
• Professionalise cleaning and disinfection tasks and define the bases for an effective cleaning protocol that is healthy for all.
• Reduce the exposure of the occupants to pathogenic agents through contact with surfaces that are frequently touched and may accumulate bacteria.

PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

• Define the disinfection and hygiene level necessary for each space in the cleaning protocol. Unnecessary disinfection may adversely affect human health.
• Prepare a cleaning protocol for each type of facility that includes the following sections: frequency, products, equipment, procedures and training. The cleaning protocol will have to include a self-control programme.
• Organise a basic training course (five hours) for the personnel who carry out and/or coordinate cleaning and disinfection tasks in municipal facilities.
• Minimise the entry of dirt and contaminating agents in the interior of buildings through actions at the main access points. Install mats with a minimum width equal to the opening of the access and at least three metres long in the main traffic direction.
• Define a cleaning timetable for frequent contact surfaces, specifically: desktops and tabletops, door knobs and handles, lift buttons, telephones, keyboards and commonly used switches.
• Avoid the use of cleaning products that contain VOCs or formaldehyde. Whenever possible choose cleaning products certified with the EU Ecolabel or a similar ecolabel/green sticker.
• Prohibit the use of cleaning products that contain pesticides.
• Use vacuum cleaners with a HEPA filter.
• Avoid the use air fresheners.
• Keep bleach-based products separate from ammonia-based products in cleaning product storage zones and visibly label them so they are not confused.
• All spaces used for the storage of cleaning products should have doors that can be locked. The air of these spaces must circulate in the extraction direction to guarantee that it is not mixed with the recirculation air.

REFERENCE EXPERIENCES

• International Well Building Institute. “Well Building Standard - Air/Cleaning equipment”.
• Salud sin daño. “Guía para la sustitución de químicos peligrosos en el sector salud”.

LEGISLATION

• Real Decreto 486/1997, de 14 de abril, por el que se establecen las disposiciones mínimas de seguridad y salud en los lugares de trabajo.

STUDIES AND TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION

• Servei de Salut Pública de la Diputació de Barcelona, 2014. “Manual per elaborar un pla de neteja i desinfecció de les instal·lacions esportives”.
• NTP 700. Precauciones para el control de las infecciones en centros sanitarios.
• American Journal of Infection Control, “Cleaning and disinfecting environmental surfaces in health care: Toward an integrated framework for infection and occupational illness prevention”.

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