Guidelines for Cleaning & Disinfecting Offices (Covid-19) Singapore
Guidelines for Cleaning & Disinfecting Offices (Covid-19) Singapore
The COVID-19 epidemic affects many aspects of Singaporean life. The most evident difference is in the area of hygiene and cleanliness. Singaporeans must wear masks anytime they leave their houses, and hand sanitizers can be found in public areas across the city-state.
Whether at a mall, school, hospital, or office, disinfection processes have been altered to include methods that might limit the possible contamination of the COVID-19 virus in the premises. These are the cleaning and disinfection rules for Singapore offices in the context of COVID-19.
Guidelines for Cleaning and Disinfection
In consultation with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), NEA has developed interim guidelines to assist owners and operators of non-healthcare commercial premises and residents to carry out cleaning and disinfection operations for areas that have been exposed to confirmed cases of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) infection.
Chemical Disinfectants
NEA has provided a list of active ingredients and household disinfectant and cleaning products for the disinfection of the COVID-19 virus. The listed products contain at least an ingredient that is effective against coronaviruses. The right concentration of the active ingredient and contact time is critical for the effectiveness of the disinfection process.
Disinfectant Active Ingredients
The NEA announced a list of active components and their effective working concentrations against Coronaviruses on February 4th, 2020. The following are some of the active components and their concentrations of action:
- Accelerated hydrogen peroxide: 0.5%
- Benzalkonium chloride: 0.05%
- Chloroxylenol: 0.12%
- Ethyl alcohol: 70%
- Isopropanol: 50%
The concentration of active chemicals used in a disinfection process is not the only aspect that affects its efficiency. The effective contact time of these active chemicals should be included in the office cleaning routine.
Users are recommended to read the product labels before purchasing and using cleaning products containing approved active ingredients to understand the risks and to ensure that the product meets the requirements for effectiveness against coronaviruses. Suppliers and importers of disinfection products should also get data demonstrating the products’ safety and effectiveness, as well as facts substantiating the claims.
Chemical Disinfection Methods Used Safely And Effectively
The following are some application guidelines provided by NEA for safe and effective disinfection.
1. Wipe-down
When sprinkled on an infested carpet, boric acid, which is available as a powder in many supermarkets, will quickly eradicate any imbedded carpet beetles. Any lingering beetles can be eliminated by lightly sprinkling this insecticide on furniture, carpets, and rugs. After leaving the boric acid dust alone for two hours, vacuum the leftover material and throw away your vacuum bag. Boric acid may not be an effective treatment for pet owners even though it is only dangerous to humans in big doses.
2. Whole room fumigation
Decontamination of entire rooms is carried out by introducing chemical mist or vapor and maintaining the desired concentration for the required duration. The room is then aerated to remove any traces of the chemical disinfectant that may remain. Whole room fumigation is typically carried out using hydrogen peroxide or chlorine dioxide in hospitals and laboratory settings.
Efficacy
Each decontamination cycle takes between 2 – 5 hours. This decontamination process is a reliable method against a wide range of pathogens.
Precautions
The following points should be noted for whole room fumigation:
- Proper sealing of the room during decontamination to prevent the escape of the chemical vapors
- Evacuation of all personnel from the room
- Close monitoring to ensure that operators and bystanders are not exposed to chemical levels above the safety limit.
3. Hand-held misters
Hand-held misters work by spraying a mist of disinfectant liquids onto the intended surface for disinfection. Another variant of such a device is an electrostatic sprayer, which delivers charged droplets that are attracted to surfaces, resulting in a more even layer of disinfectant on the surface. An effective hand-held misting/spraying process should deposit an even layer of disinfectant liquid on the targeted surfaces with the required contact time.
Efficacy
Hand-held misters are not intended to be used as a primary disinfection strategy. They should be used in conjunction with wipe-downs. Some limitations affecting the efficacy of hand-held misters are:
- Need to ensure that targeted surfaces are fully covered, including obscure but frequently touched surfaces, e.g. side of a door handle facing the door.
- The surface should not be grossly contaminated. Otherwise, pre-cleaning is required.
- Moisture-sensitive areas or equipment, which should not be neglected during the disinfection process.
Precautions
The following points should be noted for hand-held misting:
- Operators are to be properly protected, not just against the potential risks of viral aerosol but also against the chemical used. For example, the limit of exposure to hydrogen peroxide stipulated by the Ministry of Manpower is 1 ppm over 8 hours.
- No bystanders are exposed to chemicals at levels beyond the safety limit.
Office Cleaning Assistance Program
The cleaning assistance system, or CAS, is available to private workplaces in non-retail buildings. Only settings with proven COVID-19 cases that have been informed by the MOH or NEA to execute disinfection operations are eligible for the scheme. Furthermore, only third-party charges for expert cleaning and disinfection services are allowed.
Businesses interested in applying for this program must, however, meet the following requirements:
- The firm is incorporated or registered in Singapore;
- The company has a minimum of 30% local shareholding;
- The company has a group annual sales turnover of not more than SGD 100 million, or the company’s group employment size is not more than 200 people.
Conclusion
Before choosing the correct disinfectant for your office to employ against coronavirus, Understand the efficacy of the active components, as well as their limitations and potential dangers. If you don’t have the necessary skills to thoroughly clean and disinfect your office, you should use professional office cleaning services or disinfection services in Singapore.
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