A crucial part of the Bring Huskies Home campus reopening plan includes ensuring a safe environment for our entire campus community and visitors. Facilities Management’s Building Services Department is working hard to ensure a clean and healthy space for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Central to this effort is our ongoing adherence to the guidelines published by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Minnesota Department of Health, the Minnesota State system office, and other key leaders in the facility maintenance industry. The following plan provides details of what is being done to clean and disinfect campus facilities, and how employees can assist in this critical endeavor.
The success of these efforts relies on the entire campus community to continue to follow the basic personal health practices outlined by CDC to limit transmission of the COVID-19 virus. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
The primary method of cleaning and disinfecting hands is to wash with soap and water. Students, faculty, staff, and visitors are encouraged to take advantage of the numerous restroom facilities throughout each building to wash their hands on a regular basis. Additionally, sanitization stations will be provided at key entrances to buildings, either with a wall mounted or floor stand hand sanitizer dispenser, and at departmental customer service counters.
It should be noted that many resources that are an important part of controlling the spread of germs and viruses are in high demand. These include things like hand sanitizers and dispensers, disinfectant wipes, disinfectant cleaners, and some personal protective equipment. SCSU has these materials on hand, and continues to order additional supplies to stay appropriately stocked. That said, medical facilities, long-term care facilities, and emergency responders have top priority for receiving these supplies. Responsible use of these products by the campus community will help to ensure continued availability for everyone, including our campus.
The CDC defines cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing as:
Building Services General Maintenance Workers (GMWs) make up our diligent and dedicated professional cleaning staff. They are specially trained in cleaning processes and sanitation products to provide a healthy work environment campus-wide. Our focus is on cleaning all surfaces from floor to ceiling in classrooms, common use areas, restrooms, lobbies, customer service areas, and gathering spaces, along with trash and recycling removal.
The products we use are specially formulated for use in a broad public setting and are generally more potent but less harsh than common household cleaners. All the products are listed on the CDC and EPA lists of chemicals rated to deal with COVID-19 and other biological contaminants. Our three most heavily used disinfectants are one-step quaternary based disinfectant cleaners specially formulated for hospitals. They are designed to dry quickly to leave a safe surface for human contact, while also imparting an antibacterial film that continues to disinfect new contaminants that come in contact with the cleaned surface for up to 72 hours.
As part of our response to the current global health crisis, we have put additional effort into high touch surfaces in accordance with CDC and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidance. These include, but are not limited to, doors, door handles, light switches, countertops, furniture, restroom fixtures and stalls, elevator and copier buttons. We normally would clean these surfaces daily, which is adequate given both the guidance and the disinfectants we use, but we have increased the frequency to 3-4 times daily to provide additional peace of mind, in balance with other cleaning requirements within each building. This insures the germicidal barrier on these surfaces remains potent but safe. Please do not re-clean behind the GMW staff as this will reduce or eliminate the residual barrier.
Some unique areas on campus have specific cleaning requirements over and above general cleaning and disinfecting as outlined by their governing regulatory agencies. These areas include the Lundgren Child Care Center, the Campus Medical Clinic, Garvey Commons, and all other commercial food preparation and service facilities. Although not specifically outlined in this document, these areas will continue to be cleaned and disinfected in accordance with those agencies’ strict guidelines. Information regarding these areas may be obtained from the individual center directors.
We are all responsible for helping to ensuring our campus is a clean and healthy environment. If you see trash, pick it up and throw it away. If an area needs attention, report it to Facilities.
Although GMWs vacuum and empty trash in individual offices, employees are responsible for cleaning their personal work surfaces such as desktops, computer keyboards/mice, office materials, and personal belongings in private offices spaces. Facilities will provide each department a cleaning supply kit for use at service counters and reception areas. Refill supplies may be obtained by submitting a work order via the “Submit a Service Request” link on the Facilities Management web site: https://www.stcloudstate.edu/facilities/.
The departmental cleaning supply kit may be used by employees to clean individual work spaces. Employees are also permitted to bring in common household cleaning products to clean their individual work spaces. Please be mindful of others by trying to use products that are fragrance free. If you have questions about appropriate cleaners for your IT equipment, please call the IT Help Desk at 308-7000.
For the safety of all employees, we ask you to please provide information about what cleaning products you bring from home. Email Facilities Management (facilitiesmgmt@stcloudstate.edu) with the following: your name; what products you are using (name, manufacture, UPC code number); and where you are using the products (e.g., AS 200). This information will enable us to insure these products do not have the potential to adversely react with the products being used by our staff, and help will us comply with federal workplace safety regulations.
Individuals are responsible for picking up and cleaning behind themselves in breakrooms, meeting rooms, restrooms, and other similar spaces. This is both common courtesy and will assist GMWs when they perform general cleaning and disinfecting in these areas.
Faculty and students can also provide additional disinfecting of high touch areas in classrooms, laboratories, and computer labs. A spray bottle of disinfectant and towels, disinfectant wipes, or sanitizing wipes will be provided in these locations for additional disinfecting of high touch areas. Always follow appropriate laboratory procedures, and be sure to properly clean and store all equipment, chemicals, experiment products, and other items used within a lab or classroom.
Students are responsible for cleaning in their individual residence hall rooms in accordance with Residence Life policies.
The University has established standard minimum cleaning and disinfection levels that are consistent with the CDC and MDH guidance. These minimum levels will ensure a safe environment for all of the campus community, and are attainable with existing staffing. Additional cleaning and disinfection may be accomplished over and above these minimums as activity levels require and resources permit.
Several factors were considered when determining cleaning service levels for each area of campus. These include but are not necessarily limited to:
Questions or concerns about service levels or cleanliness of an area should be directed to Facilities Management by calling 308-3166 or emailing facilitiesmgmt@stcloudstate.edu.
Basic Service Levels:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/colleges-universities/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/colleges-universities/considerations.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/reopen-guidance.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
https://www.health.state.mn.us/#coronavirus
https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/schools/clean.html
https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2-covid-19
Yes. Our cleaning protocols and products comply with all CDC and MDH guidance, and the products are on the approved EPA list as effective against COVID-19. The entire campus was cleaned prior to reopening and continues to be cleaned daily.
First and foremost, follow the self-health guidelines published by the CDC. These include staying home when sick, washing your hands regularly, covering your cough, practicing social distancing, and wearing a face mask. Secondly, if you see trash on the ground, pick it up and dispose of it. If you notice an area that needs attention, say something by reporting it to the nearest GMW or calling Facilities Management at 308-3166.
Restrooms are deep cleaned daily. Fixtures and high touch surfaces are revisited at least twice a day.
Hallways are cleaned daily, and high touch areas like door knobs and handles, handrails, elevator push buttons, and water fountains are disinfected twice a day.
No. Classrooms will be cleaned and disinfected twice a day with a disinfectant cleaner that actively eliminates germs and viruses for up to 72 hours. MDH has determined a daily clean and disinfecting is adequate for the maintenance of classrooms, but we believe this additional cleaning will provide peace of mind to students and faculty, while ensuring the protective barrier remains strong. We will also find either disinfectant wipes or a spray bottle of disinfectant with dry wipes for self-care within each classroom if you are concerned your desk area is not sufficiently clean.
Each department will be provided with a cleaning kit that will contain a disinfectant cleaner and wipes. These are intended for departmental customer service areas, but may also be used by individuals to clean their work spaces.
Contact your departmental front desk staff, who will contact the building GMW or submit a work order via the “Submit a Service Request” link on the Facilities Management web site: https://www.stcloudstate.edu/facilities/.
No. The manufacturer does not require PPE for occasional use of the product typical to the average employee or student. GMWs are required to wear PPE because of the wide variety of cleaning products they use and the various hazards they encounter while performing their duties to keep campus clean.
You may use personal home cleaning supplies in your office or personal workspace. Common household wipes and cleaners like Clorox are effective against COVID-19. However, we ask you not to use them on common areas or high touch surfaces that are cleaned by GMW staff. The products used by our staff are specially formulated to provide a long-lasting disinfecting barrier that continues to fight germs and viruses for up to 72 hours, even after repeated touching. This germ-fighting barrier will be removed by the other cleaners, thus inadvertently leaving the surface unprotected against future germs and viruses.
The elevators buttons are considered high touch surfaces and are cleaned twice a day. The elevator itself is cleaned daily.
The cloth furniture is cleaned when visibly soiled. The high touch wipe able surfaces are cleaned daily.
Water fountains are cleaned and disinfected daily. The actuator buttons are disinfected twice a day.
Our daily cleaning protocols will ensure the common spaces in your department and building are clean, so a special deep cleaning is not required. Additional cleaning may requested by submitting a work order via the “Submit a Service Request” link on the Facilities Management web site: https://www.stcloudstate.edu/facilities/ and we will come discuss the specific concerns with you and determine if additional cleaning is required. If someone is violently ill and throwing up or bleeding, please call Facilities Management at 308-3166 for immediate attention.
Questions or concerns about service levels or cleanliness of an area should be directed to Facilities Management by calling 308-3166 or emailing facilitiesmgmt@stcloudstate.edu.