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Since the pandemic began, the British Cleaning Council (BCC) has received many enquiries about cleaning applications, processes and procedures from a variety of organisations that are reopening premises or seeking to design cleaning regimes that will ensure staff, visitors and the public stay safe and well.
The BCC has consulted member organisations from across the sector in order to compile an agreed guide to ensure informed decisions are made, good standards are reached and people are reassured when it comes to cleaning and hygiene in the current environment.
Key advice in the guide includes:
- When cleaning within the health care sector, standard operating procedures should be referenced in conjunction with the latest advice from Public Health England and the World Health Organisation
- A two-stage process is needed when employing methods such as ‘fogging’, ‘misting’, ‘spraying’, ‘fumigation’ and ‘bug-bombing’ – cleaning to remove the soil is essential before disinfecting to remove the pathogenic micro-organisms
- When employing a contractor or planning a cleaning and hygiene regime, it is essential that a current, robust risk assessment is designed acknowledging the various environmental factors that may be encountered
- When engaging external providers to carry out specialist cleaning/disinfecting activity it is important to review their credentials in terms of:
- Reputation and credibility
- Operator training
- Credibility of the product intended for use, preferably that which has undergone efficacy testing and has a unique EN number
- Result evaluation process – how is the outcome measured?
BCC Chairman Paul Thrupp said: “Outside the cleaning and hygiene industry, there is some confusion about what is needed in terms of cleaning and disinfecting to ensure people stay safe and well in light of the risk posed by Coronavirus.
“This has been aggravated by entities which have sprung up, aiming to capitalise on the public’s fears by offering cleaning products and services which may not do all that they claim.
“Our guide aims to bust these myths and offer an industry-agreed source of reliable, evidence-based information.
“It will help ensure that the high standard of cleaning and hygiene that are crucial for defeating Coronavirus as the UK economy unlocks can be achieved and it will help provide the reassurance that people need.”
To view the guide, visit www.britishcleaningcouncil.org
