COVID-19 Update: Kids Show Appreciation for Cleaners, OSHA Provides Respirator Instructions

Kids thank EVS staff

Environmental services (EVS) providers are often the hidden workers in health care facilities, although they help keep both patients and medical staff safe from infectious pathogens. As they continue to power through their jobs amidst the pandemic, these workers are being recognized for their part in stopping the spread of COVID-19.

EVS staff for Servicon Systems Inc. working in Los Angeles County, California, received especially heart-warming kudos from children at the local Boys and Girls Club. Officials at one hospital asked the club to help it thank the EVS workers. The club responding by having the children create colorful homemade cards for the professional cleaners.

“We were charmed and deeply moved by the hospital’s creative effort to acknowledge the contributions of our employees,” said Servicon President and CEO Laurie Sewell. “We are proud of Servicon’s Terminal Cleaning process that disinfects everything from the ceiling to the floor in hospitals, clinics, and rehab facilities, as we move into a future when health care environments will require deeper, more frequent cleaning.”  

“The cards hang in our workplaces to remind us that people and their families acknowledge what we are doing and are counting on us to help keep them safe,” said Servicon Operations Manager Jaime Alvarado.

OSHA releases new video on proper respirator use

Maintenance workers are already accustomed to wearing respirators and other personal protective equipment (PPE) while working with potentially hazardous chemicals and equipment. Today, more workers than ever are donning respirators to protect them from coronavirus exposure and many of these workers may not be familiar with proper respirator use.  

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released a new video and poster instructing workers how to properly wear and remove a respirator. The video and poster demonstrate and describe seven steps every worker should follow:

1. Wash hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol before putting on and after removing the respirator.
2. Inspect the respirator for damage.
3. Cover mouth and nose with the respirator and pull strap over the head so that it rests at the back of the head. A second strap should rest at the back of the neck. Use the metal nose clips to mold the respirator to the shape of the nose.
4. Adjust the respirator by placing both hands over it and inhaling and exhaling. Readjust the straps if air leaks from the respirator’s edges.
5. Avoid touching the respirator while wearing it.
6. Remove the respirator by grabbing the straps from behind. Do not touch the front.
7. If the respirator does not need to be reused, discard it in a closed-bin waste receptacle.