Thanks to the ongoing success of vaccine rollout and improvements of key public health and health care indicators, Ontario is set to enter Step 1 of Roadmap to Reopen on June 11. It will allow patios to resume operation and non-essential retail to have in-person customers back again. Although many businesses in Ontario had gone through multiple reopenings already and been well aware of necessary protocols, there are always things that can be done better to protect customers and community members, and thus prevent another wave of the pandemic.
In this blog post, we will share 4 tips that can help bring next-level clean and disinfection to your space when it reopens.
Understand & Follow the Guideline
As a business owner or operator, it is important for you to understand the restrictions that apply to your business and regularly check for region specific requirements, such as municipal by-laws and orders from the local public health unit. Step One of the new 3-step plan focuses on the resumption of more outdoor activities with smaller well-managed crowds where risk of transmission is lower. It will also permit more limited indoor settings to be open, all with restrictions in place. To see the details about what can reopen in Step 1 and what to expect for the folloing 2 steps, check out the Roadmap to Reopen.
Choose Disinfectants Wisely
There are numerous disinfectant products on the market but not all of them are authorized by Health Canada for use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID19. Therefore, choosing disinfectants that are safe to use and qualified to fight the virus is essential.
Health Canada has published a list of disinfectants that with evidence for use against all strains of SARS-CoV-2 and have been approved for sale in Canada Vital Oxide is one of them (DIN: 02422654).
With the safest SDS safety rating, Vital Oxide can be used straight from the bottle and be handled without PPE. It is colourless, 100% biodegrable, non-corrosive, and non-irritating to the skin. The formula contains a unique form of stabilized chlorine dioxide with no VOCs that is effective at killing 99.999% of bacteria and viruses, including COVID19, Influenza, Norovirus, H1N1, MRSA, E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, Legionella and more.
Upgrade Disinfection Methods
Now we all know that cleaning and disinfecting surfaces can reduce the risk of infection, and businesses should always follow standard practices and appropriate regulations specific to your type of facility.
When no people with confirmed or suspected COVI19 are known to have been in a space, cleaning and disinfecting once a day is usually enough to sufficiently remove and eliminate virus that may be on surfaces and help maintain a healthy facility. However, you may want to clean and disinfect more frequently if your space is a high traffic area or if certain conditions apply, which make the efficiency of disinfection method important. An efficient disinfectiom method can not only help cut down cleaing time, but also save labor and cost.
Fogging and electrostatic spraying are considered to be two of the most effective methods for surface disinfection. Foggers and sprayers are designed to wrap surfaces with a thin and even coverage in a smaller amount of time. With touchless application, they can also help lower the risk of cross contamination.
Improve Indoor Air Quality
As stated in the reopening plan, more limited indoor settings are allowed to resume operation in Step 1. To ensure a safe and clean indoor environment for customers and staff, these businesses have to be extra cautious with the indoor air quality due to the fact that SARS-CoV-2 viral particles spread between people more readily indoors than outdoors, especially when indoor spaces are poorly ventialted and enclosed.
What can these businesses do to improve indoor air quality and minimize the risk?
- Opening windows; inspecting and maintaining dedicated exhaust ventilation;disabling DCV controls; repositioning outdoor air dampers
- Using fans to increase effectiveness of open windows; repositioning supply/exhaust diffusers to create directional airflow
- Adding portable HEPA filter systems, such as Surgically Clean Air, one of the most advanced and effective air purification systems on the market
- Adding upper room UVGI, such as Sanilume UVC air sanitizer, the world’s most powerful upper room air sanitizer
