Recommended Cleaning – Safe Work Australia
The following document is summarised from the Safe Work Australia document “Recommended Cleaning: Supplementary Information” for non-healthcare workplaces.
https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/cleaning-table-covid19-26May2020.pdf
The Safe Work Australia website has been updated with a large amount of information for businesses of varying fields (non-healthcare). Please visit the Safe Work Australia website for information regarding your specific industry. Health Care facilities should refer to the Department of Health regarding appropriate cleaning.
Please note: Peerless JAL products have not been tested against COVID-19 or any surrogate viruses.
Cleaning during the COVID-19 pandemic:
COVID-19 spreads through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. A person can acquire the virus by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes.
A combination of cleaning and disinfection will be most effective in removing the COVID-19 virus.
It is highly recommended that workplaces are be cleaned at least daily. More frequent cleaning may be required in some circumstances. For example, if your workplace operates in shifts, workplaces should be cleaned between shifts. If equipment is shared between workers, it should be cleaned between uses, where practicable.
For routine workplace cleaning in a non-healthcare workplace, physical cleaning with water and detergent is usually sufficient. Once clean, surfaces can be disinfected.
When and how often your workplace, or certain surfaces, should be disinfected will depend on the likelihood of contaminated material being present. This would include any time there has been a case or suspected case of COVID-19 at the workplace, or at workplaces with a high volume of workers, customers or visitors that are likely to touch surfaces.
You should prioritise cleaning and disinfecting surfaces that many people touch.
A combination of cleaning and disinfection will be most effective in removing the COVID-19 virus in workplaces. The two-step method should be used where there is a high volume of workers, customers or visitors that are likely to touch surfaces.
Cleaning vs Disinfecting:
Cleaning means to physically remove germs, dirt and grime from surfaces using a detergent and water solution. A detergent is a surfactant that is designed to break up oil and grease with the use of water.
Example products: MicroAid General, MicroAid Amenities, Activ O, Activ SRA, Versadet, All Purpose Detergent, Q Clean, Vitality, Jal Det, Tops, Q Det
Disinfecting means using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces. It is important to clean before disinfecting because dirt and grime can reduce the ability of disinfectants to kill germs.
The following disinfectants are suitable for use on hard surfaces i.e. surfaces where any spilt liquid pools, and does not soak in:
Chlorine bleach in a concentration of 1000 parts per million (see below for dilution and safe use)
Example Products: Sodium Hypochlorite, Chlorite Liquid Bleach, Peersol, Q Sol
Sprays that contain quaternary ammonium compounds (see labels for directions)
Example Products: Accent Musk Disinfectant (Commercial Grade), Lemongrass Disinfectant (Commercial Grade), Mr Kilmore (Commercial Grade)
These chemicals will be labelled as ‘disinfectant’ on the packaging and must be diluted or used following the instructions on the packaging to be effective. Disinfectants require sufficient contact time to be effective at killing viruses. The disinfectant should be left for ten minutes before removing.
Hospital Grade disinfectants are not required for non-health care related industries.
Cleaning Frequencies:
The frequency of cleaning and disinfection is determined by many factors; your type of business, number of workers/customers, shift changes, equipment sharing ect.
In general it is expected that frequently touched items such as door handles, light switches, work benches and equipment should be cleaned and disinfected daily. Depending on the business or surface usage it may even need to be performed after every touch or shift change, for example shared lunch room tables.
Infrequently touch surfaces generally should be disinfected and cleaned on a weekly basis; however, it is important you seek appropriate advice on your industry to determine appropriate cleaning frequencies for your business.
Detailed information on an industry basis is available at:
https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/covid-19-information-workplaces
Disinfection with Bleach:
Chlorine bleach can effectively kill viruses but handling it can be hazardous, please always ensure your safety and refer to a product SDS (available on our website) for all PPE and first aid information.
- Always wear gloves and safety glasses when preparing bleach solutions
- Always add the bleach concentrate to water (never add water on top of bleach)
- Work in a well-ventilated space and do not mix bleach with any other chemicals
- Only use freshly prepared bleach and ensure product is within it’s best before date as Chlorine bleach degrades over time
- Used mainly on hard, non-porous surfaces, it can damage textiles and metals (test patch if unsure).
- Wipe the area with bleach solution using disposable paper towels or a disposable cloth.
- Active chlorine level of 1,000ppm recommended for infectious cleaning, see below for dilution instructions.
- Allow 10 minutes contact time, then rinse off with water.
- Wash hands well using soap and water and dry with disposable paper or single-use cloth towel. If water is unavailable, clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub before and after cleaning.
Promote Hand Hygiene:
Cleaning hands also helps to reduce environmental contamination.
Soap (Rose Refresh, Majestic or Hair and Body) and water should be used for hand hygiene when hands are visibly soiled and an alcohol-based hand rub (Zero-Bac) at other times (e.g. when hands have been contaminated from contact with environmental surfaces).
Please refer to Product Information sheets on our website for appropriate dilution rates and products best suited to your application.
If you have any further questions, please contact Peerless JAL on 1800 800 248.
