Covid-19 cleaning of non-office areas including production areas, including shipping, receiving and labs

Many of our facilities have specific cleaning requirements for production areas, shipping and receiving areas, laboratories, and other non-office areas as dictated by quality systems, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), or other requirements. These procedures should be maintained. In many cases, these procedures will include disinfection that will reduce the risk posed by viruses such as COVID-19 or other pathogens.

That said, existing procedures may not include disinfection, or may not include disinfection in all areas. In these cases, to the extent that these enhanced cleaning guidelines can be implemented without compromising quality or other production requirements, they should be considered.

Recognizing that cleaning services may not frequent our production areas, site leaders are encouraged to work with operators to implement enhanced cleaning procedures in production, shipping and receiving, laboratories, etc., particularly with respect to frequently touched surfaces.

Personal protective equipment recommendations:

• Safety glasses with side shields and gloves (non-latex)
• Dispose of gloves after cleaning and wash hand with soap and water for at least 20 seconds

Disinfectants

For general precautionary cleaning, detergent and water are adequate. Many general household products contain the appropriate concentrations of active ingredients (AIs) for disinfection of areas that are very likely to be contaminated with COVID-19 virus (i.e., bedroom of a person confirmed to have COVID-19).

The AIs and their effective concentrations listed below in Table 1 have been shown to be effective against known coronaviruses. In addition to the use of cleaning agents, other treatments effective against known coronaviruses include steam and heat treatment. As the COVID-19 virus is new, no study has been published on the virus. This assessment is thus based on published scientific studies on coronaviruses, a group to which the COVID-19 virus belongs.​

Guidelines for disinfection for known or suspected cases of COVID-19

These following guidelines are designed for the disinfection of areas that have been frequented by an individual with a known or suspected case of COVID-19. These guidelines are separate from the enhanced routine cleaning guidelines outlined above and will not be used by sites unless they have a known or suspected case of COVID-19.

As part of our site preparedness efforts, all site leaders must immediately contact their cleaning services provider to confirm whether they have the capability to clean according to these guidelines. Confirming this information now will help you ensure that proper disinfection can begin as soon as possible should your site experience suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19.

Many Thermo Fisher colleagues serve on the housekeeping staff at our sites. Sites are strongly discouraged from asking our colleagues who serve on the cleaning staff to disinfect areas after a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19. If your housekeeping staff includes Thermo Fisher employees, site leaders must contact external vendors and locate a company that can perform cleaning according to these guidelines as part of our preparedness efforts. Once a vendor is located, efforts must be made to secure their services in the event they are needed (i.e., execute contract and service agreements ahead of time).

Site leaders who have difficulty identifying or securing a vendors that can perform disinfection, or who  feel the best option is to have their employee cleaning staff perform the disinfection, must contact local environmental, health and safety resources and corporate Risk Management for further guidance.

In the absence of specific guidance from the World Health Organization and United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other national healthcare agencies, all locations should be prepared to follow the European Union guidance contained in the Interim guidance for environmental cleaning in non-healthcare facilities exposed to SARS-CoV-2 (February 18, 2020) until further notice. We will continue to monitor for new guidelines with respect to COVID-19 and update this guidance as necessary.

The survival time for COVID-19 is not known for certain, so it is best to assume that the virus can survive on surfaces of different materials for at least 2 to 3 days, and possibly longer. Where there is reason to suspect that surfaces may have been contaminated with COVID-19, the surfaces should be sanitized. If the potentially contaminated surface is covered with a textile, it may be necessary to launder the material at the warmest temperatures recommended for the material with a laundry detergent and bleach.

Disinfectants should be prepared and applied in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. Ensure that appropriate contact time is given before rinsing or removing the disinfectant. Please see the Disinfectants section below or refer to the European guidance referenced below for recommendations on disinfectants that can be used.

Disinfection of production, shipping and receiving, laboratories and other non-office locations should be done in consultation with QA/QC staff, operations and others as appropriate to ensure selected disinfectants and proposed methods are acceptable from a quality and production perspective.

Important points to note when using disinfectants:

• Check the labels and use according to instructions, and be aware of the potential hazard of each product
• Avoid contact with eye and skin when handling cleaning products
• Comply with all warnings and precautions for use
• Do not mix different cleaning products
• Use in a well-ventilated area
• For disinfection of highly contaminated surfaces or material, avoid the use of spray, and allow appropriate contact time needed for disinfection prior to rinsing or removing the product from the treated surface (refer to product instruction).

References:
Singapore National Environment Agency, Interim List of Household Products and Active Ingredients for Disinfection of the COVID-19 Virus” (2/23/20)

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Interim Guidance for environmental cleaning in non-healthcare facilities exposed to SARS-CoV-2 (2/18/20).

For more information on coronavirus infection control cleaning see our main page.

Covid-19 cleaning company guidelines – Notes when using disinfectants:

• Check the labels and use according to instructions, and be aware of the potential hazard of each product
• Avoid contact with eye and skin when handling cleaning products
• Comply with all warnings and precautions for use
• Do not mix different cleaning products
• Use in a well-ventilated area

For disinfection of highly contaminated surfaces or material, avoid the use of spray, and allow appropriate contact time needed for disinfection prior to rinsing or removing the product from the treated surface (refer to product instruction).

References:
Singapore National Environment Agency, Interim List of Household Products and Active Ingredients for Disinfection of the COVID-19 Virus” (2/23/20)

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Interim Guidance for environmental cleaning in non-healthcare facilities exposed to SARS-CoV-2 (2/18/20).

Specific instructions on disinfection, in addition to the European guidance.

• Covid-19 cleaning company staff should wear the following personal protection equipment, or PPE; disposable gloves, eye goggles and/or a face shield, disposable long-sleeved gowns and an N95 disposable respirator or equivalent
• Gloves should be removed and discarded if they become soiled or damaged. in this event, a new pair are to be worn
• Disinfection may be limited to the specific locations within the business where the infected person spent time and/or was likely to have touched surfaces. For instance, not just passing through such as an entrance vestibule.
• The active ingredients and their effective concentrations listed below have been shown to be effective against known coronaviruses. In addition to the use of cleaning agents, other treatments effective against known coronavirus include steam and heat treatment. All disinfectants should be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Soak cloths, mops, etc. with disinfectant or bleach solution and avoid spray applications which may create splashes and further spread the virus
• Wipe tabletops, desks, benches or other horizontal surfaces with human contact with disinfectant or the prepared bleach solution at the beginning and again at the end of the cleaning
• Where possible, seal off areas where the confirmed case has visited until all cleaning and disinfection of the contaminated surfaces has been completed
• Remove curtains, fabrics, quilts, pillows and cushions for washing, preferably using the hot water cycle. Alternatively, you may choose to simply dispose of these items.
• For hot-water laundry cycles, wash with detergent or disinfectant in water at 70ºC for at least 25 minutes. If low-temperature (i.e., less than 70ºC) laundry cycles are used, choose a chemical that is suitable for low-temperature washing when used at the proper concentration.
• Arrange for a cleaning contractor to properly disinfect any carpets that have been used by any person who has been confirmed to have COVID-19
• Floors and hard surfaces should be cleaned using a disinfectant selected from the list below or contained in the European guidance
• Disinfect non-porous cleaning equipment by soaking in disinfectant or bleach solution. Disinfect equipment used in one room, before using for other rooms. If possible, keep the disinfecting equipment separated from other routine equipment.
• Double-bag all materials for disposal (including rags, respirators, disposable gowns and gloves) and seal with a cable tie. Wear a new pair of gloves for handling the bag.
• Waste should be disposed of upon completion of the disinfection work in accordance with local or country regulations for the disposal of biohazardous waste.

Disinfectants to be used in the execution of covid-19 cleaning

Many general household products contain the appropriate concentrations of active ingredients for disinfection of areas that are likely to be contaminated with COVID-19.

The active ingredients and their effective concentrations listed in Table 2 below have been shown to be effective against known coronaviruses. In addition to the use of cleaning agents, other treatments effective against known coronaviruses include steam and heat treatment.

For more information on coronavirus infection control cleaning see our main page.