To promote the health and safety of all students, faculty, and staff, facilities will be regularly cleaned and disinfected in accordance with CDC guidelines to prevent the spread of infectious disease. These guidelines outline the cleaning, processes, protocols by space, and frequency by space for continuous cleaning throughout each day and thorough cleaning at the conclusion of each day.
These guidelines comply with the Center for Disease Control recommendations.
How to Clean and Disinfect
- Wear appropriate PPE disposable gloves, masks, and for all tasks in the cleaning process, including handling trash, as appropriate.
- Practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces like tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks, etc.
- Disinfect
- Recommend use of EPA-registered household disinfect
- Spray surface with an EPA-registered disinfectant with an even coverage
- Leave the solution on the surface for at least 1 minute.
- If you cannot let the solution air dry wipe the solution off with a disposable paper towel
- Soft surfaces (carpeted floors and upholstered furniture)
- Clean the surface using soap and water or with cleaners appropriate for use on these surfaces.
- Launder items – Use the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely.
- Disinfect with an EPA-registered household disinfectant
- Vacuum as usual
- Electronics Consider putting a wipeable cover
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- Follow manufacturer’s instruction for cleaning and disinfecting.
- If no guidance, use alcohol-based wipes or sprays containing at least 70% alcohol. Dry surface thoroughly.
- Laundry (St. Augustine)
- Use the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely.
- Wear disposable gloves
- Do not shake dirty laundry
- Remove gloves, and wash hands right away
Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Building if Someone is Sick
If a student, faculty member, staff member, or other visitor to campus is known to have contracted COVID-19, the following protocol should be implemented:
- Close off areas used by the person who is sick
- Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation if possible.
- Wait 24 hours before you clean or disinfect
- Clean and disinfect all areas used by the person who is sick
- Vacuum the space if needed. Use vacuum equipped with high-efficiency particular air (HEPA) filter, if available.
- Do not vacuum a room or space that has people in it. Wait until the room or space is empty to vacuum, such as at night, for common spaces, or during the day for private rooms.
- If it has been less than 3 days since the sick individual used the facility, notify facilities confidentially to clean and disinfect all areas used by the sick individual following the CDC cleaning and disinfection recommendations
- If it has been 3 days or more since the sick individual used the facility, additional cleaning and disinfection is not necessary. Continue routinely cleaning and disinfecting all high-touch surfaces in the facility.
Cleaning and Disinfecting Outdoor Areas
- Outdoor areas generally require normal routine cleaning but do not require disinfection.
- Do not spray disinfectant on outdoor areas
- High touch surfaces made of plastic or metal, such as grab bars and railings should be cleaned routinely
- Sidewalks and roads should not be disinfected
CDC cleaning and disinfection recommendations
Opening preparation & checklist
USAHS campuses promote health and safety guidelines in adherence to CDC recommended procedures, state, and local policies and recommendations. The checklist below outlines the campus facilities preparation tasks for reopening by space type:
Areas
Entrances/Exits
- Entrances and exits should be thoroughly cleaned (in accordance with routine cleaning procedures intended to promote general health and safety standards) and high use areas and objects should be disinfected at the conclusion of each day after the building is closed to patrons. A thorough cleaning includes all hard surfaces, soft surfaces (if applicable), floors, window, doorways, and objects.
- Throughout the day, surfaces and doors present at entrances and exits should be continuously cleaned (after each group is admitted to the building or at least every hour).
- High touch objects such as laptops, tablets, phones, pens, and other items present at the check-in/-out station should be disinfected frequently or after each use with a disinfecting wipe.
- Supplies used for on-campus medical screenings (i.e. thermometers/scans) should be disinfected after each use.
- Disposals for PPE or other medical supplies should be emptied at the end of each day.
Classrooms
- Classrooms should be thoroughly cleaned (in accordance with routine cleaning procedures intended to promote general health and safety standards) and high use areas and objects should be disinfected at the conclusion of each day after the building is closed to patrons. Thorough cleaning and includes all hard surfaces, soft surfaces (if applicable), floors, window, doorways, and objects.
- After each class, surfaces, doorways, and high touch objects (i.e. light switches, chairs, etc.) should be cleaned and disinfected. All cleaning solutions should be dry before the next class can be admitted to the room.
- PPE disposals should be emptied at the conclusion of each cohort (when PPE is used).
Offices
- Shared office space should be thoroughly cleaned (in accordance with routine cleaning procedures intended to promote general health and safety standards) and high use areas and objects should be disinfected at the conclusion of each day after the building is closed to patrons. Thorough cleaning and disinfection includes all hard surfaces, soft surfaces (if applicable), floors, window, doorways, and objects.
- Throughout the day, high touch surfaces, doors, technology, light switches, and objects present in shared office space should be continuously cleaned at least twice per day.
- Private offices can be cleaned in accordance with standard cleaning policies if use is restricted to a single individual. Doorknobs and high touch objects outside of private offices should be included in the thorough shared office space cleaning conducted at the conclusion of each day.
- PPE disposal bins will be located at the building exit.
Hallways
- Hallways should be thoroughly cleaned (in accordance with routine cleaning procedures intended to promote general health and safety standards) and high use areas and objects should be disinfected at the conclusion of each day after the building is closed to Students, Faculty and staff. A thorough cleaning includes all hard surfaces, soft surfaces (if applicable), floors, windows/glass, doors, handles and objects.
- Throughout the day, surfaces and doorways should be routinely cleaned (after large groups/classes letting out or coming in or at least twice during open building hours)
Stairwells
- Hallways should be thoroughly cleaned (in accordance with routine cleaning procedures intended to promote general health and safety standards).
- High use areas and objects should be disinfected at the conclusion of each day after the building is closed to students, faculty and staff. A thorough cleaning includes all hard surfaces, soft surfaces (if applicable), floors, and handrails.
- Routinely throughout the day, surfaces, doorways, and handrails should be continuously cleaned and disinfected at least twice during open building hours).
Elevators
- Elevators should be thoroughly cleaned (in accordance with routine cleaning procedures intended to promote general health and safety standards).
- High use areas and objects should be disinfected at the conclusion of each day after the building is closed to students, faculty and staff. A thorough cleaning includes all hard surfaces, buttons, doors and handrails.
- Throughout the day, elevator buttons and other high touch objects should be continuously cleaned and disinfected at least twice during open building hours.
Bathrooms
- Bathrooms should be thoroughly cleaned (in accordance with routine cleaning procedures intended to promote general health and safety standards).
- Throughout the day, surfaces, countertops, faucets, flush handles, stall door handles and locks, and other high touch objects should be continuously cleaned and disinfected at least twice during open building hour or after scheduled class breaks.
Water Fountains
- Water fountains should be thoroughly disabled/decommissioned.
- Throughout the day, bottle fillers should be cleaned and disinfected (after large groups or at least twice during building hours).
- If water fountains have been unused for a long period, the water should be flushed through the system in advance of reopening.
Vending Machines
- Remove or decommission all vending machines.
Refrigerators and Kitchens
- Kitchens are only to be used for washing of hands and are not meant to be gathering areas.
- Refrigerators are not to be used in order to minimize people congregating.
Common Space
- Closed off spaces should be cleaned according to routine building cleaning procedures.
Outdoor Space
- High touch surfaces made of plastic or metal, such as door handles and railings should be cleaned and disinfected routinely.
