I will be following up this post with several to address improving productivity of home-office workers because many people will continue to work from home full-time for several more months due to social distancing restrictions and other will continue to work from home permanently either fully or partly. It’ll vary widely as to the order that employees start coming back into the office.
But for the rest, particularly shop areas, the return to the office is eminent. Most businesses didn’t have time to plan for work from home but there is time to plan for resuming to work from the office.
- How’s your office supply stock?
- Let’s get those computers turned on and updated (call us to let us know when you’re going to be there turning them on to give us remote access to those machines)
- Fire up those printers and shake the toner before using
- Was anything left in the fridge?
- How about those garbage cans?
- Are the snacks and water fresh?
And most importantly: Sanitize
Quite a bit of business equipment was redeployed into homes. You may want to sanitize those before they come into your office. In addition you may want to clean the office thoroughly too. There actually little that is more germy than computers and phones. So if those get cleaned you’ll be far ahead in the game. Cleaning solid touchable surfaces should also be considered. If you have intentions of creating a clean sanitized workspace for people to come back to you’ll want to get in supplies for that now. As we all know, shipping times are extended for almost everything.
I received this from a friend who work for a large corporation. I thought it was useful to know what they are doing, products they are using and it seems to be thorough. You might find it helpful to know which products to purchase and how to use them. The first one is probably available at your local grocery. The second will most likely require an online order from Amazon or similar. The last item should be available at your local distiller or brewery. Valentine or Griffin Claw come to mind.
Dilute Bleach solution:
- Diluted bleach in water disinfecting solution in spray bottle (Reference: Clorox commercial solutions ultra Clorox germicidal bleach)
- Application: For use on hard high-touch surfaces, but not electronics. Allow the solution to dry for at least five minutes after application, before touching the surface.
- Product Name/Label:
- “Disinfecting bleach solution”, WARNING irritant, keep away from skin and eyes, use with adequate ventilation
- Ensure labels on containers remain legible and secure.
- Materials: Paper towels or other paper or polymer based product designed as a cleaning wiper (sponges are not acceptable).
- PPE: Disposable nitrile gloves or reusable Solvex or Rubber gloves, and safety glasses.
- Hazards: Disinfecting bleach solutions contain sufficient concentration of sodium hypochlorite to cause temporary or prolonged damage to living tissue. Bleach solutions and their odors can irritate eyes and mucous membranes. Solutions that contact skin or eyes from splash can cause redness and irritation. If contact with eyes occurs, flush with water for at least 15 minutes and go to Health Services/seek medical attention. If contact with skin occurs, wash skin thoroughly and dry. Monitor skin for continued redness/irritation after contact and seek medical attention if it persists.
- Hazards: Disinfecting bleach solutions contain sufficient concentration of sodium hypochlorite to cause temporary or prolonged damage to living tissue. Bleach solutions and their odors can irritate eyes and mucous membranes. Solutions that contact skin or eyes from splash can cause redness and irritation. If contact with eyes occurs, flush with water for at least 15 minutes and go to Health Services/seek medical attention. If contact with skin occurs, wash skin thoroughly and dry. Monitor skin for continued redness/irritation after contact and seek medical attention if it persists.
Neutral Disinfectant 64:
- Diluted quaternary ammonium compound in water disinfecting solution in spray bottle (Reference: Chemical Strategies, Inc. (CSI) Neutral Disinfectant 64, product code 15981)
- Application: For use on hard high-touch surfaces. Allow the solution to dry for at least five minutes after application, before touching the surface. Use for electronics if alcohol-based sanitizer is not available. Apply disinfectant to a paper towel wipe when cleaning a computer’s keyboard and/or mouse. Caution: Do not apply too much liquid or damage to the computer component could occur.
- Product Name/Label:
- “Neutral Disinfectant 64”, DANGER Harmful if swallowed, causes skin burns and eye damage, keep away from skin and eyes, use with adequate ventilation
- Ensure labels on containers remain legible and secure.
- Materials: Paper towels or other paper or polymer based product designed as a cleaning wiper (sponges are not acceptable).
- PPE: Disposable nitrile gloves or reusable Solvex or Rubber gloves, and safety glasses.
- Hazards: Neutral Disinfectant 64 solutions contain sufficient concentration of quaternary ammonium compounds to cause temporary or prolonged damage to living tissue. These solutions and their odors can irritate eyes and mucous membranes. Solutions that contact skin or eyes from splash can cause redness and irritation. If contact with eyes occurs, flush with water for at least 15 minutes and go to Health Services/seek medical attention. If contact with skin occurs, wash skin thoroughly and dry. Monitor skin for continued redness/irritation after contact and seek medical attention if it persists.
Sanitizing Alcohol Solution:
- 70% diluted solution of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) or 1-propanol, and water (Reference: CSI Isopropyl Alcohol, aka IPA, and Fisher Scientific 1-propanol, catalog no. A414-1, A414-4, A414-20, A414-500, A414RB-50, A414S-4, BP1130-500)
- Application: use for hard high touch surfaces including electronics. Apply to a paper towel and then wipe when cleaning a computer’s keyboard and/or mouse. Caution: Do not apply too much liquid or damage to the computer component could occur.
- Product Name/Label:
- “Sanitizing alcohol solution 70% IPA”, WARNING: flammable, irritant – keep away from eyes, use with adequate ventilation
- “Sanitizing alcohol solution 70% Propanol”, WARNING: flammable, irritant – keep away from eyes, use with adequate ventilation
- Ensure labels on containers remain legible and secure.
- Materials: Paper towels or other paper or polymer based product designed as a cleaning wiper (sponges are not acceptable).
- PPE: Disposable nitrile gloves or reusable Solvex or Rubber gloves, and safety glasses. Application is for most high-touch surfaces. Solution should be allowed to dry for at least five minutes after being wiped on, before touching the surface.
- Hazards: Sanitizing alcohol solutions contain sufficient concentration of isopropyl alcohol to be flammable and to cause irritation to living tissue. Alcohol solutions and their odors can irritate eyes and mucous membranes. Solutions that contact skin or eyes from splash can cause redness and irritation. If contact with eyes occurs, flush with water for at least 15 minutes and go to Health Services/seek medical attention. If contact with skin occurs, wash skin thoroughly and dry. Monitor skin for continued redness/irritation after contact and seek medical attention if it persists.
Instructions:
- User should maintain their personal PPE and solution spray container and wipes in a secure location in their office or work location for their use only. PPE shall not be shared with others unless all touchable surfaces first have been disinfected.
- Before applying solutions, inform other personnel who are present of your activity, and advise that they should not touch any surface you have disinfected or sanitized for at least 5 minutes. Also, direct spray solution well away from where they are present to avoid inadvertent contact to their skin or eyes.
- Apply disinfecting or sanitizing solution to a paper towel and clean safety glasses. After disinfecting or sanitizing solution dries, safety glasses must be wiped down with a paper towel wetted with water.
- Don disposable nitrile gloves or reusable rubber gloves, and safety glasses
- If surface is dirty (e.g., dirt or heavy dust), use a paper towel wetted with water to clean surface and dispose in regular trash
- Allow surface to dry
- Spray disinfecting or sanitizing solution on paper towel, being careful not to overspray, and wipe surface. NOTE: Never combine bleach or other disinfecting solutions (corrosive) with alcohol solution (flammable) onto the same towel or surface. Surfaces must be dry prior to applying a solution (repeat steps 3 and 4 above to ensure as needed).
- Allow surface to dry. The minimum contact time, or time surface should remain wet, is 5 minutes.
- Place all paper towels used during cleaning in trash can. It is best to use only one type of solution in an area. If using both, then discard the waste towels into separate trash containers.
- Remove disposable gloves and discard in trash container. If using reusable rubber gloves, disinfect or sanitize entire surface of gloves using solutions, allow to dry for 5 minutes, and return to storage location.
- Ensure all materials (safety glasses, spray bottle and paper towel roll) are returned to your designated storage location for future use.
- Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
How to handle Spills and Disposal:
- Solution Spills: If the spray bottle solution is leaking, place it into a plastic bag or container, return it to its storage location and treat as hazardous waste disposal. Notify if you have any questions about disposal. If there is a spilled solution that cannot easily be absorbed in paper towels, isolate the area and call. Await instructions.
- Towel and Container Disposal: Paper towels used for application of the diluted bleach solution may be disposed into regular trash if they are dry or damp. If the towel(s) is saturated or dripping (potentially from a spill or leak), it should be placed into a leak-tight closable container (e.g. tied or sealable plastic bag or plastic container with a lid) for disposal as a hazardous waste via ESHM. To dispose of containers that are either empty or still containing liquids, treat as hazardous waste disposal. Notify if you have any questions about disposal.
Happy Office preparation! We look forward to the day when we can see each other again.
About Harbor Computer Services
Harbor Computer Services is an IT firm servicing Southeastern Michigan. We work exclusively under contract with our clients to provide technology direction and either become the IT department or provide assistance to the internal IT they already have. We have won many awards for our work over the years, including the worldwide Microsoft Partner of the Year in 2010. We’re the smallest firm to have ever won this most prestigious award. Most recently we were recognized as one of the top 20 visionaries in small business IT by ChannelPro Magazine. And as the top Michigan IT firm for Manufacturing. There are a few simple things that make Harbor Computer Services the best choice for your business. •We are Professionals •We are Responsible •We are Concerned About The Success of Your Business
