Three-Stage Cleaning Plan
Level 3: No Threat
A Level 3: No Threat process is normal everyday cleaning. Although we hope to return to school under a Level 1 cleaning protocol, there are minor adjustments that will be made in the fall of 2020 if we can safely return to Level 1 cleaning. Level 1 cleaning is accomplished when the building is maintained on a constant cleaning and disinfecting cycle.
Some of the processes we will continue to follow under Level 3 include:
- Custodial staff will continue to maintain the appearance of the building to the best of their ability by following the district’s current cleaning schedule. This includes floor care, glass cleaning, cleaning white boards, and other such tasks. These tasks may be slightly reduced if we approach a Level 2 situation.
- Restrooms, locker rooms, and other similar areas will continue to be thoroughly disinfected nightly. Spray/vacuum machines such as “Kai-vacs” will be used nightly at the high school and will be used at least once per week at all other buildings where machines are available.
- All buckets of used cleaning solutions for mopping are emptied at the end of the shift. All supply or recovery tanks in automatic cleaning machines are also emptied. No solutions will be permitted to be left in any bucket after the shift has ended, with the exception of floor wax.
- Floor wax may be permitted to be left in an applicator bucket covered with a clear plastic bag to keep wax fresh.
- All custodial closets are to be mopped at the end of each shift. Mops will be the only wet item(s) in the closet, and they may be hung over the sink basin or over a bucket to catch any water from dripping on the surrounding floor. Mop heads should be rinsed nightly and changed once noticeably soiled. No trash should be left in custodial closets at the end of a shift.
- All used wiping cloths will be disposed of at the end of the shift and put in the trash container (dumpster) outside the building. For microfiber towels that can be laundered and reused, they will be put in a closed bin, collected, and washed in an acceptable amount of time.
- No cleaning supplies will be left in any area of the building where a student can readily gain access to them. Any supplies used by a student must be under direct supervision of an approved staff member.
- All custodial closets will remain locked during normal school hours.
- Neutral Cleaner, window cleaning solution, disinfectant wipes, disinfectant cleaners, spray bottles, spray pumps, and pump misters will be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommended instructions for each use.
Examples of products used regularly in our normal cleaning consist of:
- Virex II 256 and Wex-cide 128 disinfectants
- Disinfectant Wipes
- Peroxide based cleaners such as Peroxy
- Sparkle and Wex-glass glass cleaners
- Stride and Wex-Nu Neutral Cleaners
- GP Forward General purpose cleaner
- Spitfire power cleaner
Some of the changes we will be implementing to our Level 1 cleaning include:
- An increase in the frequency of disinfecting all touch points such as door knobs, counter tops, desk tops, push bars, water coolers, faucets, sinks, toilets, door pull handles, cafeteria tables, tables, and other hard surfaces.
- The district will introduce new electrostatic sprayers that can be used to disinfect a larger amount of touchpoints in a shorter amount of time. These will be used periodically under normal conditions, and will be a resource aggressively deployed if the threat level increases.
- The Transportation Department will increase the sanitizing of buses. Employees will wipe down touchpoints with a higher frequency to ensure sanitary conditions. Electrostatic sprayers will be used on buses on no-school days and break periods whenever possible.
Level 2: Known Threat
A Known Threat exists when there is knowledge that Coronavirus 19, H1N1, MRSA, Influenza Virus, or other similar virus has affected a student or students of the district. In this situation, additional steps will be taken at the school and areas where the situation is reported.
Level 2 Includes all actions indicated in Level 3, plus:
- Toys, balls and wall mats are disinfected through the use of spraying and misting equipment. This will be done in cooperation with the BHS athletic department.
- If a student or staff member presents with the illness, the classrooms in which that individual was present recently will be disinfected using an electrostatic sprayer. In buildings where students eat outside of the classroom, lunch tables and eating spaces will also be thoroughly disinfected.
- Staff members will supervise and instruct hand washing for students in their care. Students will be instructed to wash hands more frequently and will be reminded of proper handwashing procedures.
- Hand sanitizer will be made available for use by students and staff.
- As in Level 1, all mop buckets must be emptied at the end of the day. Additionally they must be emptied and replenished with fresh solutions during the course of normal school hours.
- Sprays and cleaners will be applied to the carpeting in the affected classrooms. All products used for this type sanitizing will be EPA approved. No product that has any adverse effect or possible effect on a student's health or well-being will be used in a classroom.
- Instructors who have carpets or area rugs in their classrooms should be advised to not permit the students to sit or play on these carpets. Instructors may be asked to store area rugs until the district returns to Level 1.
- Any cleaning process which requires moisture introduced into the classroom will require that the moisture be dry within two hours after the process is completed. Equipment such as fans and dehumidifiers may be used in aiding the drying time.
- All disinfectants used during the day which have not been entirely used must be discarded, and should not be put back into the original container. Used solutions have the possibility of contaminating the clean solution or reducing the disinfecting properties. All gloves and wiping materials will also be disposed of and removed from the building nightly.
- Certain areas such as windows, dusting, whiteboards, and walls will temporarily have decreased cleaning frequency in order to make time for the additional disinfecting efforts. Tasks that may need to be reduced for an extended period of time will be communicated to the teacher/building administrator so that expectations can be managed.
- In Transportation, electrostatic sprayers will be used on bus(es) that the infected individuals were passengers on. If there is an incident on a bus of immediate concern (vomit or other bodily fluid present), an electrostatic sprayer will be used to thoroughly disinfect all surfaces.
- Additional cleaning hours may be needed in a Level 2 threat in order to accomplish all goals.
Level 1: School or District Outbreak
A Level 1 - District Outbreak is when a large population of the city and/or school district has confirmed Influenza Virus, Coronavirus 19, H1N1, MRSA, or other virus of concern. This is the most serious level and will include the most frequent and aggressive sanitizing methods available.
Level 1 Includes all actions indicated in Levels 2 and 3, plus:
- Touch points will be wiped several times during the course of normal school hours.
- Flat surfaces, especially lunch tables, must be sanitized after each lunch period.
- No solution will be used for more than two hours before being discarded and replenished with fresh sanitizing or disinfecting solution.
- Desks will be wiped after the dismissal of school as well as the instructor's desk (if possible). Teachers will be provided with wipes so that surfaces can be wiped as needed/wanted throughout the course of the day.
- All bathrooms must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized using the same disinfectant products as specified in Levels 1 and 2. Restrooms will be power washed daily using a “Kai-vac” or similar machine.
- Students and teachers should be notified to not place items on the floor of their classrooms. Viruses and bacteria can be maintained on the soles of shoes and are then deposited on hard floor surfaces and carpets. Children should be monitored to make sure that they do not put objects in their mouths or put their hands in their mouths.
- If a student or staff member is diagnosed or suspected to have the virus, the classroom(s) in which they spent time recently will be fully disinfected using an electrostatic sprayer. Based on the severity of the outbreak, a total building process may be needed. This mist/spray process will continue nightly until the situation is confidently under control.
- Any area to be sanitized or disinfected must be fully cleaned first. This is the only way to ensure it is properly sanitized. It must be wiped, cleaned, sanitized, and then dried to kill the surface germs effectively.
- For the Transportation department, a Level 3 threat will require thorough sanitization of the entire fleet. All buses will be disinfected daily with the misters/sprayers until the threat is under control. This work will be done by a trained staff of transportation workers that are a core part of the emergency response team.
- The work required in a Level 3 threat will be significantly more laborious and time consuming. Overtime/additional staffing will be required and coordinated between the district and Enviro-Clean.
Being more aggressive, following procedures precisely, and using the correct product to fight the virus or germs identified will reduce the further spread of highly contagious pathogens and help protect the staff and students during an outbreak. We will continue to be nimble in changing our methods based on the most recent advances in cleaning technology and needs of the district.
