Staff Guidance

Cleaning and Disinfection of Tusla Premises during the COVID-

19 pandemic

Ref: CMT-AD-64-2020 Date: 21st July 2020

Version: 2.0

Approved by Tusla Crisis Management Team – COVID-19

1.0 Introduction

The Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, is transmitted through cough and sneeze droplets

and other bodily fluids. It is understood that the Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 can

survive for approximately 72 hours in the right conditions. To minimize risk of spread,

staff should appropriately clean and disinfect workstations. Observing good hand

hygiene and cough etiquette will dramatically reduce the potential for spread along

with ensuring there is a robust and consistent approach to cleaning and disinfection of

the premises.

Guidance in this document is drawn from the following sources:

Health Protection Surveillance Centre

https://www.hpsc.ie/search/search.html?collection=HPSC&query=cleaning

The European Centre for Disease Control

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/disinfection-environments-covid-

19.

*Note: These sources of information are continually updated. It is therefore recommended that they be regularly

consulted.

2.0 Purpose

The purpose of this document is to provide staff with clear guidance on cleaning and

disinfecting of work premises in accordance with the recommendations issued. This

will help to protect everyone and reduce the risk of the spread of Covid-19. Particular

attention should be paid to Appendix 1 of this document, which refers to advice relating

to the use of specialist cleaning techniques.

3.0 Scope

This guidance applies to the cleaning and disinfection of Tusla premises, excluding

Residential Centres, during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is separate guidance

available for Residential Centres in the COVID-19 area of the Tusla website. As some

Tusla services operate from buildings shared with other organizations (e.g. HSE), local

liaison and cooperation amongst relevant organizations may therefore be required in

the application of this premises cleaning guidance. Further information on the

procurement of contract cleaning services and other COVID-19 related services is

available on the COVID-19 section of the Tusla Hub. This information is regularly

updated by Tusla Procurement.

4.0 Definitions

Cleaning refers to the removal of germs and dirt, however it should be noted that

cleaning by itself does not kill germs, but will reduce their numbers and remove dirt

and debris that may contain or hide germs. The presence of dirt and debris will reduce

the effectiveness of disinfection.

Disinfection on the other hand, refers to the use of chemicals to kill germs on

surfaces. This process kills germs on a surface after cleaning, and further reduces the

risk of the spreading the virus.

5.0 Safe use of Chemicals/Disinfectants

1) Line Managers of staff who use chemicals must ensure they are trained and

informed on how to use, handle, and store chemicals safely, including spillage

responses. Tusla employees have access to information and training by

accessing HSEland at this location:

https://www.hseland.ie/dash/Account/Login and searching for “Chemical

Safety in the Workplace”.

2) A Chemical Risk Assessment (CRA) should be completed prior to using any

chemical product in the workplace. Information to assist with completing a

CRA can be found on the manufacturer’s Safety Data Sheet. See Appendix 3 of

this document for an example of a completed CRA for Bleach Products.

3) Please also refer to the Chemical Safety section of the Site-Specific Safety

Statement and Risk Assessments for further guidance on the use of chemicals.

4) Ensure cleaning staff have been trained in and always wear appropriate

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as instructed in the manufacturers Safety

Data Sheet (SDS). The product/instruction label may also contain this

information.

5) Ensure that the manufacturer’s instructions/product labels are followed

correctly, and that the correct mixing/dilution formula is followed. This is

particularly important when cleaning computer keyboards, screens and other

electronic devices. There is a potential risk of electrocution resulting from the

ingress of liquids into live electrical components/systems. There is also a

potential risk of damage to sensitive equipment from the use of caustic and/or

abrasive cleaning materials.

6) The main area of concerns regarding the use of chemicals/disinfectants relate

to the risk of eye damage, skin damage, and damage to the respiratory system

associated with their use. Every Tusla site should have appropriate first aid

arrangements in place in accordance with the site-specific Safety Statement.

7) Staff who use chemicals must ensure they look after themselves and others by

using chemicals as directed by the manufacturer. If in doubt, cease using

the chemical and contact your Regional Health and Safety Advisor

immediately, or contact the Tusla Health and Safety team at

healthandsafety@tusla.ie.

8) Store chemicals securely after use in a suitably designated storeroom. The

storeroom should be kept in a locked state and have appropriate safety signage.

9) A Sterilising Fluid Hazard Summary Sheet is available in Appendix 4. Site

Managers are advised to display this in the workplace where sterilising fluid is

used and to bring it to the attention of applicable staff.

10) If you have any questions regarding the usage of chemicals in your workplace,

please contact the Regional Health & Safety Advisor for further advice and

guidance.

6.0 Good Hygiene Practice

1) Bottles of detergent, disposable paper towels and/or wipes should be left in

staff areas to enable staff to clean down their own spaces/communal

spaces/touch points.

2) Bottles of detergent must not be left in areas accessible to the general public.

Cleaning supplies can be sourced from Tusla approved suppliers, and details of

suppliers are available on the Tusla Hub under the section: COVID-19 Guidance

and Advice for delivery of critical frontline services.

7.0 Procedure for Cleaning and Disinfecting Premises

A. Cleaning and disinfecting premises where there have been no confirmed or

suspected cases of COVID-19

1) The use of a neutral detergent for the cleaning of surfaces in general premises

(i.e. for premises where no suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 has been

detected) should be sufficient, as advised by the European Centre for Disease

Control guide, available at:

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/Environmental-

persistence-of-SARS_CoV_2-virus-Options-for-cleaning2020-03-26_0.pdf

The cleaning of public toilets, kitchen areas, bathroom sinks and sanitary

facilities used by several people should be carefully performed and consideration

given to the use of a disinfectant effective against viruses, such as 0.1% sodium

hypochlorite, or other licensed viricidal products following the instructions for

use provided by the manufacturer.

2) Cleaners must be trained and instructed by their employer on how to protect

themselves against illness and injury in the course of their work, taking account

of chemical, biological, physical and environmental risks. If externally

contracted cleaners are used, please refer to Section 8 below.

3) Regular touch points to be cleaned include, but are not limited to:

Door touch plates

Door combination locks

Grab rails, handrails and banisters

Glazed units

Tables

Backs of chairs and couches

Desks

Cupboards

Light switches

Toilets seats

Cubicles locks

Taps

Sinks

Shared use of IT equipment

Stationary stores

Telephones

Remote controls

Printing equipment

Kitchen surfaces

Water fountains

Fridge doors

Coffee/tea/sugar jars

Cutlery drawer doors

Kitchen cupboard doors

Bin lids

Utility room surfaces

Lift buttons

Post boxes

Other frequently touched points

4) Floor surfaces with high volumes of foot traffic should also be cleaned and

disinfected on a daily basis to avoid contamination from an external source.

5) Cleaners should only use products that the manufacturer’s label states are

effective in killing viruses, and they should consult the relevant safety data sheet

and comply with requirements therein to manage any risks associated with its

use.

6) Cleaners should use disposable cloths for cleaning and disinfecting.

7) Cleaners should avoid touching any area of their face whilst undertaking

cleaning and disinfecting of an area.

8) Cutlery and crockery should be washed in hot water and detergent or in a

dishwasher.

9) All applicable waste from the process of cleaning and disinfecting should be

disposed of safely and appropriately.

10) Upon completion of all cleaning and disinfection tasks, wash hands thoroughly.

11) Hands should be dried using either paper towels. Where these are not available,

textile towels should be single use only to prevent the possible spread of

infection.

B. Cleaning and disinfecting premises where there have been

suspected/confirmed cases of COVID-19

Note: The following are in addition to the general principles outlined above in

section 5 and section 7a of this document,

12) The line manager or designate must take immediate measures to ensure that no

one enters the room/area after a suspected case has left for up to 1 hour (if

windows are closed) and 20 minutes (if the window is open).

13) The cleaner, who must be trained and is competent in infection cleaning, and is

assigned to clean the relevant area(s)/room(s) must put on the appropriate PPE

(i.e. surgical mask, single use apron, gloves), then physically clean and disinfect

the environment and furniture.

14) The line manager or designate must ensure that the cleaner is made aware of all

surfaces that staff members/service users have come in contact with, so that they

can be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

15) The person responsible for the operation of the building should ensure that

those accessing the area are aware that it is potentially contaminated.

16) No special cleaning of walls /ceilings is required.

17) Once the area/room has been, ventilated, fully cleaned and disinfected and the

room is dry, it can be put back into use.

18) PPE and other contaminated waste must be disposed of safely and appropriately

(see section 7c below) in accordance to the recommended disposal of PPE.

C. Disposal of potentially contaminated waste cleaning materials including

PPE

Please follow HPSC guidance for the disposal of PPE waste as per the diagram below:

8.0 Cleaning Contractors

1) In accordance with the safety statement, cleaning contractors must be managed

on site to ensure their safety and the safety of service and staff.

2) Cleaning contractors should, where appropriate, be informed of any risks they

may face on a site; e.g. if there are confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19.

3) Contract cleaners, if engaged on a site, should be provided a copy of this

document, and instructed, as a minimum requirement, to undertake the

cleaning and disinfection in accordance with the guidance.

4) If contract cleaners use their own cleaning protocols, a copy should be provided

to the Tusla Site Manager.

5) On completion of a cleaning task/job, site managers should request written

confirmation that this task has been completed for all applicable areas in

accordance with this protocol – a sample cleaning record sheet is located in

Appendix 5 of this document.

6) Evidence that the cleaning/disinfecting task has been completed, in accordance

with this protocol, including copies of instructions and a cleaning checklist,

should be recorded, obtained and available if requested. Evidence may also

include training records of designated cleaning staff.

7) Copies of the Safety Data Sheet and Chemical Risk Assessment for the chemicals

used by contractor staff must be available on site.

8) The schedule of surfaces and/or rooms to be cleaned should be agreed with the

contractor’s representative and site manager in advance of

cleaning/decontamination work commencing.

9) Cleaning tasks should be risk assessed in advance and safe work practices

agreed to prevent injury, particularly if working with machinery, in confined

spaces or from heights.

9.0 Record of Cleaning

A record of cleaning should be maintained which records the date and time of

cleaning, rooms cleaned etc., in cases where there may be a requirement to conduct

contact tracing if a staff member or contract cleaner develops COVID-19. See

example in appendix 5.

10.0 Updates, queries and feedback

This document will be updated in accordance with guidance updates. Any queries or

feedback you may have, please contact your Line Manager or Tusla Regional Health

and Safety Adviser at healthandsafety@tusla.ie.

Appendices

Appendix 1- Specialist Cleaning

There are specialist cleaning/decontamination techniques that, whilst not normally used in

the workplace environment, could be utilized during the COVID-19 outbreak. One of the most

common is the application of disinfectants to work areas as fogs or mists, commonly known

as “Fogging”.

Fogging / Misting application of disinfectant products

Recently published guidance from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the cleaning

and disinfection of environmental surfaces in the context of Covid-19 - May 15th 2020,

highlighted that, “In indoor spaces, routine application of disinfectants to environmental

surfaces by spraying or fogging (also known as fumigation or misting) is not recommended

for COVID-19.”

In addition, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine has to date not approved any

biocidal products for use for the control of Covid-19 via fogging/misting/atomisation/aerosol

devices”. Therefore, Tusla Health and Safety Department do not recommend fogging or

misting as a cleaning/decontamination technique in workplace environments.

Contact your Regional Health and Safety Advisor or the Health and Safety team on

healthandsafety@tusla.ie for queries relating to specialist cleaning.

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Appendix 2 - Hand Hygiene Techniques

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Appendix 3- Chemical Risk Assessment- Bleach

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Appendix 4- Hazardous Chemical Safety Summary

Sterilising Fluid Sodium Hypochlorite

Serious Eye & Skin Irritant

Irritant of Lungs & Airways

Other Health & Safety Risks

Generates toxic/flammable gas on contact with other cleaning products. Avoid contact with metal objects. Environmental pollutant.

Additional Safety Precautions

1. Keep out of the reach of children: store securely.

2. Personal Protective Equipment MUST be worn while

a. Making solution from concentrate

b. Using of the product

c. Wear gloves, long sleeved clothes, and safety glasses during use.

3. Carefully use in accordance with the product label or other product instructions.

4. Empty container may be rinsed out with cold water and disposed of in domestic waste bin.

5. Ventilate area of use thoroughly after application.

6. Allow treated surfaces to dry before use.

7. Use fresh solution only: exposure to air degrades its effectiveness.

8. To minimise injury from making solution from concentrate, add the correct dose of sterilising concentrate to water. Do NOT add water to sterilising concentrate (this will splash concentrate).

9. Read the product’s safety data sheet (available from product manufacturer’s website) and risk assessment: your Regional Health and Safety Advisor can assist you in preparing a chemical risk assessment.

10. Wash contaminated skin immediately. 11. Remove contaminated gloves and clothing after use, and before washing, eating, drinking or

smoking. 12. During use ensure room is ventilated to avoid build-up of fumes. 13. Report any suspected health problems associated with any chemical. 14. Allow treated surfaces to dry before use.

First Aid for Eye Contact

Immediately rinse the affected eye for 15 minutes with plenty of cool running water as instructed by the First Aider and/or line manager. Then contact Occupational Health or your GP.

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Appendix 5- Sample Cleaning Record Log

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Appendix 6- Poster on Cleaning and disinfection for COVID-19