Recovering your business when these active cases are decreasing globally, provinces in Canada are beginning to lower restrictions, and the threat of contracting Covid-19 and having an outbreak has remained considerably difficult for businesses to push forward. Recovering after years in the global pandemic is challenging, especially for those businesses closed throughout the whole occurrence who tried to recover losses. Businesses need to be aware of what to do if facing exposure to the virus and dealing with having an outbreak at the workplace. 

Ensure that customers and staff wear adequate personal protective equipment, ask staff to disinfect surfaces using wipes after usage, and ensure everyone stays six feet apart. However, there could still be an occurrence when either an employee or client contracts coronavirus and brings it into your establishment. This blog explains four essential steps, to recover your business from the outbreak of Covid-19.

4 Steps to Recovery

Step 1

Wait and Separate

If you discover that a sick person(s) who is positive for Covid-19 enters your workplace, consider several factors listed below:

• Where in the building was that person?

• What surfaces did they touch?

• Did they interact with anyone else?

Firstly, it’s crucial to have a good idea of where that person might have gone while in the establishment during an outbreak. Close off the area the person had occupied using distinctive signals like cones or caution tape. Staff should identify and prioritize areas that need to eliminate harmful germs and viruses. Once the critical regions in need of disinfection are understood, answer the following questions:

• How populated is the area?

• What kind of surface is it?

• How often was this surface touched?

Depending on the answers to these questions, your disinfection method may vary; the length of the waiting period before disinfection and the necessary type and strength of disinfection. When dealing with an easily contracted and harmful virus such as Covid-19, premium quality disinfectant products like Roxton’s disinfecting wipes are essential for businesses to keep their doors open and their staff and clients comfortable and wanting to return.

Step 2

Increase Ventilation

Opening doors and windows and introducing a heating or cooling system into the area will reduce the number of airborne pathogens (CDC, 2021, para. 21). This step will increase airflow and remove harmful pathogens from that area.

If you later decide to vacuum, ensure you turn off any in-room or wall-mounted heating or cooling system, as contamination could be within the unit (CDC, 2021, para. 21). 

These methods are not guaranteed to remove all harmful pathogens from the air. Although, increasing airflow in a location is supposed to tremendously reduce the number within the air and decrease the opportunity for the outbreak to expand to more individuals within the organization.

Step 3

Cleaning

After several hours have passed, the area is somewhat safe to begin disinfecting by designated staff members. Ensure staff has sufficient knowledge of adequate PPE and safety procedures. Staff should be wearing gloves and layered masks such as Roxton’s N95 Masks while disinfecting.

Besides that, the CDC recommends glasses or goggles and other ventilation systems to protect themselves from catching coronavirus (CDC, 2021, para. 11). This gear is essential for keeping the staff involved in the cleaning safe from any harmful germs in the air or surfaces that the virus might have contaminated.

Besides that, Roxton’s disinfecting wipes can kill up to 99.9% of bacteria and the virus that causes Covid-19, which means they are an excellent choice for adequately recovering your business from an outbreak. Surfaces or objects that the sick person(s) exposed to Covid-19 may have touched or brushed up against all need sufficient disinfecting. 

When cleaning, the Government of Canada recommends utilizing a disinfectant product with a DIN (Drug Identification Number), which many of Roxton’s products have, such as our disinfecting wipes, Concrobium, Environize, and Sanitizers (Government of Canada, 2020, para. 5).

…For further disinfection

Try out Roxton’s Protect 90 Antimicrobial Solution. It provides a coating that protects the surface of microbes for 90 days after use! This product is supported by over 40 years of research, as it targets the most resistant germs and bacteria. Protect 90 is tough on gram-negative and positive bacteria, fungi, algae, mold, mildew, and strong odours.

Step 4

After Disinfection

Once staff has completed disinfecting the closed-off area, several questions need considering:

• Has the site been sufficiently cleaned using quality disinfectants?
• Has the space been ventilated well?
• When should I allow my staff and customers to return to that area?

As a business owner or manager, you sometimes are faced with difficult situations such as this. Still, it is your responsibility to decide whether or not to keep that area closed off or allow access to that area once again. 

How long does coronavirus stay in an area?

Airborne particles are known to stay present for several hours (EPA, N.d., para. 2). However, depending on the type of surface, harmful germs and viruses can remain for hours, even days (Government of Canada, 2020, para. 2).

In conclusion, harmful germs and viruses are still heavily active within our communities. Everyone should do their part in preventing the spread by investing in quality disinfection and personal protective equipment. Roxton’s premium products are essential for recovering your business when these times can be difficult. Businesses like yours should not have to close again, so keep the doors open and invest in products that work and have the support of trusted organizations, such as Health Canada.

References

CDC. (November 15, 2021). “Cleaning and Disinfecting your Facility.” https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/disinfecting-building-