Dos and Don’ts of Disinfecting and Sanitizing – CCOHS Guidelines

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety is the primary national agency in Canada dealing with safe and healthy workplaces. Their mandate is the prevention of work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths in all industries.

Industrial cleaning services like Arelli Cleaning look to the CCOHS to ensure their methods meet the standard of care needed for proper commercial cleaning and disinfection services. While some of these Dos and Don’ts seem like common knowledge, it’s important to keep them all top of mind when performing your own disinfecting and sanitizing.

(Note: these tips cover commercial disinfection services in workplaces other than healthcare facilities. Health care professionals should act based on their in-house infection control procedures)

As a general rule, workplaces should be free from garbage, debris, and infectious materials. While this feels like a no-brainer, any garbage that seems to be piling up should be dealt with immediately.

For proper industrial cleaning services, one should follow safe work practices set out by their employer. This includes proper WHMIS training (if hazardous products are involved), the correct PPE (personal protective equipment), and referencing safety data sheets or product labels to ensure the chemicals and cleaners are being used correctly.

Before disinfecting surfaces, be sure to clean and wash those surfaces. This ensures germs are not hidden under surface debris when disinfectant is applied. When working with chemical cleaners and disinfectants, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water when taking breaks. Even if it’s just for a drink of water, you don’t want any errant chemicals transferring to your eyes, mouth, or other sensitive parts of the body. Proper handwashing technique includes a lather for at least 20 seconds, ensuring all areas of the hands and wrists are scrubbed (including under your nail beds).

Further to this – the correct method of industrial cleaning services prohibits eating, drinking, and smoking while using chemical agents for this very reason. If you are taking a break, be sure to conceal all products being used – do not leave open containers of bleaches and other disinfecting agents in areas where cleaning professionals may find and improperly use them. Finally – the mixing of cleaners and disinfectants should only be done with extreme caution. Always follow instructions and read all labels on products being used in commercial cleaning services to avoid any unnecessary workplace hazards and ensure everyone’s safety. If you’re not sure, do not risk it. The mixing of certain common chemicals (such as chlorine bleach and ammonia cleaners) is not only dangerous, it could prove to be fatal.

While this is a very high-level overview of some Dos and Don’ts when disinfecting and cleaning – Arelli Cleaning can provide sanitizing and disinfecting services in the GTA and all surrounding areas with the proper technique and safety measures in place.