A number of readers have asked what building owners/operators should do if they have NOT had an outbreak, but who want to reduce the risk of spread of the disease. BICSc offers the following advice:
- Maintain BICSc cleaning standards within your organisation.
- Consider increasing the frequency of cleans, particularly of sanitary ware and heavy touchpoint areas.
- Ensure colour-coding is followed without exception.
For additional clarity here are the differences between disinfection and decontamination:
Disinfection:
The process of cleaning something using chemicals that kill bacteria and other organisms that cause disease: thorough cleaning and disinfection of all surfaces is essential.
Decontamination:
The action of removing dangerous substances from something: thorough decontamination of the site will be required. Good personal hygiene and environmental decontamination are essential to keep the disease from spreading to humans.
www.bics.org.uk