Environmental Cleaning
The Guidance on Environmental Cleaning During COVID-19 offers direction for efficient and safe cleaning and disinfecting of patient rooms and common areas with high potential for contamination. The information provided in this policy is pertinent to both our patient care and environmental services (EVS) teams. This guidance was updated on January 21, 2021.
Major updates include:
- Clarified requirements for PPE training including fit testing as necessary for those involved in the cleaning of patient rooms or patient care areas – the policy now states that an adequate number of EVS personnel who clean patient rooms or patient care areas will be fit-tested for proper respiratory protection; EVS leadership teams will do this in conjunction with their local Employee Health, Occupational Safety officer or other designated owner of the facility’s respiratory protection program
- Clarifications that a terminal cleaning is not required between patients in diagnostic and intake areas, such as the Emergency Department or Radiology, and curtain changes specific to patient COVID-19 status are not required for patients in these areas; instead, staff should follow routine between-patient cleaning per facility guidelines
- Addition of section on the cleaning of test sites
Standard EVS protocols remain in place for cleaning of common areas, hallways, and inpatient rooms that are not housing COVID-19 suspected or confirmed cases. Units designated for COVID-19 care are considered contamination zones, and cleaning procedures should be managed collaboratively by unit personnel and EVS staff, all donning PPE.
Proper cleaning and disinfecting of our work space is extremely important at this juncture. We greatly appreciate your willingness to make these adjustments as we aim to reduce the potential for COVID-19 exposure in all areas of our hospitals.
Click here to view the Guidance on Environmental Cleaning During COVID-19.
FAQs
Should EVS staff clean rooms where COVID-19 patients are being cared for?
Daily cleaning responsibilities in these rooms have been transitioned to our patient care teams, with specific guidelines established to help staff members plan for and expedite the cleaning process. EVS personnel should minimize entry into rooms where COVID-19 patients (both suspected and confirmed) are undergoing care. These rooms will undergo terminal cleaning upon patient discharge by a member of the EVS team, dressed in appropriate PPE that has been fit-tested for proper respiratory protection.
Should EVS staff clean a room where an aerosol-generating procedure took place, as long as the case did not involve a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patient?
Extra precautions are being taken in all rooms where aerosol-generating procedures occur, regardless of the patient’s COVID-19 status. EVS staff members are responsible for cleaning these areas, but should delay entry into the room until sufficient time has elapsed for infectious particles to be removed from the air. If they need to clean the room sooner, all recommended PPE including a fit-tested respirator or PAPR should be worn.
Who cleans the room after a COVID-19 patient has been discharged?
EVS personnel are responsible for terminal cleaning after a COVID-19 patient has been discharged. EVS personnel performing terminal cleaning in COVID-19 patient rooms should delay entry into the room to perform terminal cleaning until a sufficient time has elapsed for potentially infectious particles to be removed from the air unless they are wearing a fit-tested respirator or PAPR, eye protection, gown and gloves, in which case they may start cleaning immediately following patient discharge.
Who cleans common areas?
EVS will continue cleaning common areas, hallways, and inpatient rooms unless the entire unit is designated for COVID-19 care. In this case, cleaning of common areas is a shared responsibility of patient care and EVS team members, all of whom should wear the recommended PPE including fit-tested respirator or PAPR for completion of all cleaning tasks.