How will you ensure the building is cleaned and ready to safely welcome staff and students?
How often will you implement cleaning, sanitation, disinfecting, and ventilation protocols/procedures to maintain staff and student safety?
What protocols will you put in place to clean and disinfect throughout an individual school day?
Which stakeholders will be trained on cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, and ventilation protocols? When and how will the training be provided? How will preparedness to implement as a result of the training be measured?
Are you cleaning or disinfecting a hard and non-porous material or item like glass, metal, or plastic?
Are you cleaning or disinfecting a soft and porous material or items like carpet, rugs, or seating in areas?
Is your plan considering the resources and equipment needed?
Has the area been unoccupied for longer than 7 days?
PDE Health and Safety Plan Requirements
Plan must include the following:
Procedures for cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, and ventilating learning spaces, surfaces, and any other areas used by students. (i.e., restrooms, drinking fountains, hallways, and transportation)
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects within the school and on school buses at least daily, including door handles, sink handles, and drinking fountains.
Ensure ventilation systems operate properly and increase circulation of outdoor air by opening windows and doors when possible.
Take steps to limit or prohibit the use of communal drinking fountains and provide safe alternatives for providing water when possible.
Develop a strategic plan for cleaning and disinfecting your facilities. It is critical that your plan includes how to maintain a cleaning and disinfecting strategy after reopening. Develop a flexible plan with your staff, adjusting the plan as federal, state, tribal, territorial, or local guidance is updated and if your specific circumstances change.
Evaluate your workplace, school, or business to determine what kinds of surfaces and materials make up that area. Most surfaces and objects will just need normal routine cleaning.
Frequently touched surfaces and objects will need to be cleaned and then disinfected to further reduce the risk of germs on surfaces and objects.
Examples of frequently touched surfaces and objects that will need routine disinfection following reopening are:
Tables
Doorknobs
Light Switches
Countertops
Handles
Desks
Phones
Keyboards
Toilets
Faucets and Sinks
Touch Screen
Copiers
Vending Machines
You should also consider what items can be moved or removed completely to reduce frequent handling or contact from multiple people. Soft and porous materials, such as area rugs and seating, may be removed or stored to reduce the challenges with cleaning and disinfecting them.
Some surfaces only need to be cleaned with soap and water. For example, surfaces and objects that are not frequently touched should be cleaned and do not require additional disinfection.
Additionally, disinfectants should typically not be applied on items that children might put in their mouths.
If your workplace, school, or business has been unoccupied for 7 days or more, it will only need your normal routine cleaning to reopen the area. This is because the virus that causes COVID-19 has not been shown to survive on surfaces longer than this time.
Understand which disinfecting products are effective against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
See the product manufacturer's website or contact them.
Look for a product on the EPA website or the Center for Biocide Chemistries website, which lists products that can be used against the virus per the EPA’s Emerging Viral Pathogen Guidance.
Check the product’s master label on the EPA website using the EPA registration number found on the product label. Look for the virus(es) listed next to “enveloped virus” under the Emerging Viral Pathogen claims section. Follow the contact time of the virus(es) listed when using the product against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Disinfect all frequently touched surfaces daily including desks, conference room tables, cafeteria tables, restroom stalls/stall doors, door handles, keyboards/mice and sink fixtures.
Disinfect after your routine cleaning is complete, including emptying trash, dusting and vacuuming to minimize cross-contamination.
Remove any visible soil from the surface with a detergent-based cleaner before applying a disinfectant.
Disinfect surfaces from high areas to low areas so that any dirt/dust that may contain microorganisms dislodged from above are removed when you clean the lower surfaces.
Disinfect surfaces from “clean” areas, such as office spaces, to “dirty” areas, such as bathrooms, to minimize cross-contamination. For convenience, consider using a one-step disinfectant cleaner instead of a disinfectant that always requires a cleaning step prior to disinfection. One-step cleaner disinfectants ensure that workers can clean and disinfect in one pass.
When disinfecting, ensure surfaces remain visibly wet for the contact time specified on the product label.
Clean surfaces using soap and water, then use an EPA approved disinfectant.
Cleaning with soap and water reduces the number of germs, dirt and impurities on the surface. Using the proper disinfectant is what is needed to kill germs on surfaces. If an EPA-approved disinfectant is unavailable, you can use 1/3 cup of bleach added to 1 gallon of water, or 70% alcohol solutions to disinfect. Do not mix bleach or other cleaning and disinfection products together.
Diluted household bleach solutions may also be used if appropriate for the surface.
Check the label to see if your bleach is intended for disinfection, and ensure the product is not past its expiration date. Some bleaches, such as those designed for safe use on colored clothing or for whitening may not be suitable for disinfection.
Unexpired household bleach will be effective against the coronavirus when properly diluted.
Follow manufacturer’s instructions for application and proper ventilation. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser.
Leave solution on the surface for at least 1 minute.
To make a bleach solution, mix: utilize 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water OR 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water.
Bleach solutions will be effective for disinfection up to 24 hours.
Alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol may also be used.
For soft surfaces such as carpeted floor, rugs, and drapes
Clean the surface using soap and water or with cleaners appropriate for use on these surfaces.
Launder items (if possible) according to the manufacturer’s instructions.Use the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely.
Disinfect with an EPA-registered disinfectant.
Vacuum as usual.
For electronics, such as tablets, touch screens, keyboards, remote controls, and ATM machines
Consider putting a wipeable cover on electronics.
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.
Launder items according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Use the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely.
Wear disposable gloves when handling dirty laundry from a person who is sick.
Dirty laundry from a person who is sick can be washed with other people’s items.
Do not shake dirty laundry.
Clean and disinfect clothes hampers according to guidance above for surfaces.
Remove gloves, and wash hands right away.
Outdoor areas, like playgrounds in schools and parks generally require normal routine cleaning, but do not require disinfection.
Do not spray disinfectant on outdoor playgrounds, it is not an efficient use of supplies and is not proven to reduce risk of COVID-19 to the public.
High touch surfaces made of plastic or metal, such as grab bars and railings should be cleaned routinely.
Cleaning and disinfection of wooden surfaces (play structures, benches, tables) or groundcovers (mulch, sand) is not recommended.
Sidewalks and roads should not be disinfected.
Spread of COVID-19 from these surfaces is very low and disinfection is not effective.
The efficacy of alternative disinfection methods, such as ultrasonic waves, high intensity UV radiation, and LED blue light against COVID-19 virus is not known.
EPA does not routinely review the safety or efficacy of pesticidal devices, such as UV lights, LED lights, or ultrasonic devices. Therefore, EPA cannot confirm whether, or under what circumstances, such products might be effective against the spread of COVID-19.
CDC does not recommend the use of sanitizing tunnels. There is no evidence that they are effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19. Chemicals used in sanitizing tunnels could cause skin, eye, or respiratory irritation or damage.
CDC only recommends use of the surface disinfectants identified on List N against the virus that causes COVID-19.
Ensure ventilation systems operate properly and increase circulation of outdoor air as much as possible, for example by opening windows and doors. Do not open windows and doors if doing so poses a safety or health risk (e.g., risk of falling, triggering asthma symptoms) to children using the facility.
To minimize the risk of Legionnaires disease and other diseases associated with water, take steps to ensure that all water systems and features (e.g., sink faucets, drinking fountains, decorative fountains) are safe to use after a prolonged facility shutdown. Drinking fountains should be cleaned and sanitized, but encourage staff and students to bring their own water to minimize use and touching of water fountains.
Close off areas used by the person who is sick.
Schools do not necessarily need to close operations, if they can close off affected areas.
Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area.
Wait 24 hours before you clean or disinfect. If 24 hours is not feasible, wait as long as possible.
Clean and disinfect all areas used by the person who is sick, such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, shared electronic equipment like tablets, touch screens, and keyboards,
Vacuum the space if needed. Use a vacuum equipped with a high-efficiency particulate 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.
Consider temporarily turning off room fans and the central HVAC system that services the room or space, so that particles that escape from vacuuming will not circulate throughout the facility.
Once an area has been appropriately disinfected, it can be opened for use.
Workers without close contact with the person who is sick can return to work immediately after disinfection.
If more than 7 days since the person who is sick visited or used the facility, additional cleaning and disinfection is not necessary.
Continue routine cleaning and disinfection. This includes everyday practices that businesses and communities normally use to maintain a healthy environment.