First standards for cleaning and disinfection of COVID- 19 isolation rooms
Until now, Switzerland lacked a binding standard for the cleaning and disinfection of COVID-19 isolation rooms. Now the ZHAW, together with a network of experts, has developed such standardized processes as well as measures and recorded them in learning films for cleaning and temporary staff.
The cleaning and disinfection of COVID-19 isolation rooms places special demands on cleaners and those responsible in homes and hospitals. Until now, there has been no binding standard in Switzerland for the cleaning and disinfection of isolation rooms, especially for COVID-19. For this reason, ZHAW experts and professionals from the healthcare sector and the cleaning industry spontaneously organised themselves into the network "Cleaning standard for isolation rooms with Covid-19" and developed such standards.
The resulting learning films serve to guide and instruct cleaning and temporary staff and range from donning and doffing personal protective equipment to cleaning and disinfection procedures in patient rooms. "We took the initiative for the standardisation of processes and protective measures as well as learning videos at short notice because we were approached by a hospital," says Irina Pericin Häfliger from the Institute for Facility Management at the ZHAW.
Standard defined together
The standard developed is intended not only to provide technical support to hygiene and cleaning managers during the Corona pandemic, but also to be used for training temporary staff in hospitals and homes in the event of staff shortages. Therefore, the recommendations were developed jointly by the experts in the network with a view to protecting staff and operational practicability. For example, details in the procedures had to be defined: What personal protective equipment is required for cleaning staff? When is waste disposed of and where?
How does the lock-in and lock-out work?
For the proposed health protection measures for healthcare workers, the team took into account the continuously updated recommendations of the professional association Swissnoso and adapted them for cleaning staff. "With the cleaning standards illustrated in learning videos, cleaning managers receive an orientation aid and, for the first time, concretely applicable training material for health protection during the COVID 19 pandemic and beyond," explains project leader and ZHAW cleaning expert Irina Pericin Häfliger.
Learning videos for cleaning and disinfection
Based on the developed standards, the network produced a series of training films, for example, on lock-in and lock-out for isolation rooms or on the workflow for maintenance and exit cleaning of patient rooms. The films serve as a guide for the cleaning staff and show the correct steps for cleaning and disinfecting COVID- 19 rooms. What has been learned can also be evaluated with a test online.
"With the training videos, we are focusing in particular on cleaning staff who, due to their working environment, belong to an occupational group with an increased risk of infection," emphasises Thomas Leiblein, Senior Specialist Infection Prevention at Hirslanden AG.
The voice-overs in the training videos are available in German, Italian and French, but are also understandable for other language groups. "Our recommendations will remain important beyond the time of the Corona pandemic and will serve as a basis for further standardisation efforts," says Pericin Häfliger.
