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Contaminated surfaces

Covid-19 can be transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces. Find out how we can reduce the risks.

Cleaning and hygiene

Handwashing and cleaning are key controls for preventing the spread of COVID. We will be providing hand sanitiser at main entrances and exits and will be advertising the importance of handwashing. Estates will continue to be carrying out regular cleaning of frequent touchpoints in communal areas throughout the day. This will include things like door handles, lift controls and other surfaces that many people will touch throughout the day.

In department-controlled spaces, you will need to consider how transmission risk can be controlled. This can be achieved in many ways, including: 

  • Minimising the amount of equipment sharing or reduce the amount of sharing of printed resources
  • Issuing people with their own equipment where practical
  • If equipment must be shared, users should clean items before and after use where feasible. Cleaning materials that have been provided centrally for this will continue to be provided until they have run out, at which point faculties and departments will have to purchase their own.

Good hand and respiratory hygiene

People can reduce the risk of picking up infections by practising good hand and respiratory hygiene. This means:

  • Washing hands more frequently
  • Washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and then drying thoroughly. If soap and water isn’t available, use the provided hand sanitiser
  • Using a tissue if you sneeze and then disposing of it in a bin.
  • Office bins should be emptied into communal bins frequently to avoid a build-up of rubbish.

We will be putting up signs around campus to remind people to “Catch it, Kill it, Bin it”. We will also be putting up signs to promote good handwashing technique. 

Shared workstations

  • Where possible, users should be issued with their own keyboards, mice and headsets so they are not sharing peripherals
  • Where this isn’t practical, self-cleaning regimes will need to be established. After people finish using a workstation, they should use appropriate sanitisers to clean shared equipment including desks and chair arms. Appropriate cleaning materials can be ordered from stores.
  • If workstations are shared, then a “clear desk” policy may help in keeping surfaces clear of clutter (which also makes them easier to clean). 

Enquiries

If you have any further enquiries, please get in touch via the CSR TopDesk tile.