Cleanliness is next to smart business practice

A NATIONAL cleaning company has revealed the biggest fears driving organisations to ramp up the quality of their workplace cleaning to meet COVID-19 risks.

Cleancorp co-founder Lisa Macqueen said June and July would be crucial months for many organisations, as a significant proportion of employees began to enter workplaces again.

“A major component of organisational risk management is frequent and thorough antiviral cleaning,” Ms Macqueen said.

“Employers need to understand that old cleaning practices, such as merely wiping down surfaces and vacuuming floors, will be inadequate for keeping surfaces and touchpoints virus-free.

“Disinfection and sanitisation are now more important, with a particular focus on frequently touched surfaces, such as door handles, light switches, lift buttons, railings, desks, toilets, and microwaves.”

Here are the key concerns for Cleancorp clients in relation to the health and safety of their employees, customers, and visitors. need to be steam-cleaned – would no longer be viable either.

BUSINESS decision-makers are concerned about potential COVID19 breakouts spreading across the organisation.

THE Workplace Health & Safety (WH&S) Act requires employers to provide and maintain a work environment that is without risk to the health and safety of their workers — this includes protection from the risk of exposure to COVID-19 (as far as reasonably practical). For the same reasons, employers are also worried about customers or visitors becoming infected while on their premises.

ISO 45001. Ms Macqueen said some organisations had ramped up their cleaning because they needed to be able to demonstrate to their auditors that they did everything they could to provide a safe environment for employees during this time.

THE potential social and financial impact on an organisation’s reputation if they are linked to a cluster is a legitimate concern.

Ms Macqueen said some businesses feared they would be forever “marked” by a positive COVID-19 case in their workplace and would struggle to win back customers. 19, but how can they minimise the risk of infection on a Monday morning if some employees were exposed on the weekend?

Ms Macqueen said businesses should conduct precautionary afterwork cleans on Mondays, including sanitisation of high-traffic areas.