Update – March 18, 2020
A clarification about the extra disinfecting the Facilities team has added on our campuses –
Please help communicate this to your teams.
- Disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer have been distributed to all sites and are being used regularly. Supplies are extremely limited and may soon be depleted, as is being experienced nationwide. These have been purchased through national and local suppliers as possible and are on backorder. Each site is further sourcing locally if they can. Everyone is encouraged to let us know if you become aware of a source.
- Visitors are being asked to use hand sanitizer when entering and leaving our spaces.
- Facial tissues are being supplied at all sites. ABQ and Portland have their own supply. I’ve ordered multiple cases delivering 3/19 for Brooks and Woodstone.
- All common area high touch points are receiving extra daily sanitizing.
- The frequently touched points of all workstations are being wiped down nightly with a disinfectant solution. Team members have been asked to minimize personal items on desks.
- Each site thoroughly disinfects affected areas if a team member is sent home for symptoms or exposure.
Separate protocols will be followed should someone actually be diagnosed.
Regarding workstation wipe-downs:
Computers and personal work surfaces are not usually wiped as part of our regular janitorial service. We have recently asked them to add disinfecting work surfaces nightly. We are working with them to coordinate hours and instructions for their teams so no surfaces are missed and all requests are being done. It may not be perfect yet, but we expect it to be fully coordinated this week.
Our janitorial teams are following current CDC guidelines and using a hospital-grade disinfectant to wipe the major touch points of each workstation. This may not include the full tabletop, but will include the areas that would be frequently touched. For example, it will not include areas behind monitors and may not include the full tabletop surface. Team members are welcome to dust or clean their stations further if they like, though we ask that actual disinfecting wipes not be used for that extra step.
To prevent damage, it is not their practice to wipe computer equipment – keyboards, mouse, monitors. Those can be carefully wiped by team members if they choose to, being careful not to allow moisture into keyboards.
Telephone receivers will be wiped.
ABQ team members and leadership are wiping down their stations temporarily as we arrange this service with their building janitorial service, which will be finalized this week.
We understand the importance of our task to keep all areas as safely clean and disinfected as possible, following national, state and local guidelines as they apply to provide the most ideal work environment we can for our entire Carenet family.
Original – March 16, 2020
Our janitorial services vendor has increased nightly cleaning and disinfecting. In addition to their standard cleaning of office entries, break rooms, conference rooms, training rooms and workspaces, their team is now wiping down, every evening, all workstations and frequently touched surfaces with an effective disinfectant solution. This includes workstation tabletops.
Action needed: Please clear all flat desk surfaces of personal items right away, so our cleaning crew can clean and disinfect them without touching or moving personal things.
Overnight team members should allow their stations to be wiped by sliding over slightly for a bit when the janitorial team approaches. They can maintain their calls as needed.
Once a surface is wiped, it is important that team members do not touch it for approximately 3 minutes.
The solution is not harmful, but those minutes are the required “germ kill” period. The surface is completely useable afterward.