The OPP Rule

Operations, Product and Protection for Do It Yourself Disinfection

It was February of 2020 when I realized that this pandemic was going to impact my business directly, but I wasn’t sure of the magnitude. As a 26 year veteran in Disaster Restoration, and members of The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association (ISSA), the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), I knew that COVID-19 Disinfection was going to become a service that we needed to provide, so we began to prepare. 

We OSHA Certified twenty-two of our employees as a respiratory protection program and the Personal Protective Equipment standard is required to comply with OSHA’s guidelines (19 CFR 1910.134 and 29 CFR 1910 Subpart I).

I also sought out expert training from The Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC). GBAC helps organizations and businesses prepare for, respond to, and recover from biological threats, biohazard situations, and real-time crises. 

The preparation and alignment of this training equipped our Company to do our part in CRUSHING COVID-19.

Now let’s talk about how you can proactively disinfect your home or business. First off, if no one in your home or business has not tested positive for COVID-19, you don’t need a professional company like Allied Restoration to disinfect your property. 

Here are the steps you need to take for DIY Disinfection. I call it the OPP Rule, which stands for Operations, Product, Protection.

OPERATIONS

Door and door handle disinfection

  1. Clean gross filth or dirt off of the surface you intend to disinfect with soap and water or other cleaning agents. Any application of disinfectant, on a non-clean surface, will not be sufficient. If the surface is not clean, you are not disinfecting. 

  2. Apply disinfectant with a sprayer on touchpoints (doorknobs, keyboards, faucets, light switches, phones, toilets, touchscreen, handrails, etc.). And to horizontal surfaces (dressers, nightstands, desks, bookcases, countertops, tables, entertainment centers, floors).

  3. Allow the proper Dwell Time (wet/contact time) for the disinfectant to disinfect. If the dwell time is decreased, the disinfectant has only cleaned the surface, NOT disinfected. I see this habit of spraying disinfectant and immediately wiping the surface, far too often. The Label is the law and must be followed for the disinfectant to work. 

  4. Wipe the surfaces after the Dwell Time has elapsed. 

Product

Cleaning Services

  1. When selecting a disinfectant, use only disinfectants found on the EPA List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). See the website: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2-covid-19.

  2. You can scroll the EPA link to find the list of all approved disinfectants. Be prepared, it may be challenging to find disinfectants that are in stock. 

  3. In case you need help locating supplies, here are some disinfectant suppliers we use. 

  1. If you’re already using a disinfectant and want to make sure it’s on List N, you will need the EPA registration number of the disinfectant, and search the EPA number on the link provided above. You can find the EPA registration number on the disinfectant’s Label or the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). 

  2. After you’ve decided on a disinfectant, read the Label to see the required DWELL Time (as described previously). The Label is the law. 

  3. Train your staff, house manager, or family members on how to read and correctly interpret the disinfectant, as per the label. 

Protection

Coronavirus Cleaning

  1. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). You will find the PPE requirements on the disinfectant label. 

  2. Before applying any disinfectant, we must take precautionary measures to protect ourselves, volunteers, employees, or whoever else will be applying it.  Litigation will be a future issue, and as an employer, you don’t want to skip this step and put yourself or your business in the line of fire. Protect your people and your business. 

  3. You can visit our website alliedrestore.com/covid-training 

For Our Business Owners

Here’s an interesting survey that reflects the current consumer sentiment for deciding where to visit. 

Mckinsey & Company, who study markets, trends, and emerging best practices in every industry, surveyed this question on 7/30-8/2/2020. 

“Once restrictions lift, which of the following factors will be the most important to you as you decide which of these places to visit in person?”

  • Mask and barriers 35%

  • Cleaning & sanitization 25%

  • No-contact purchasing 12%

  • Physical distancing 10%

  • Store regulations 8%

  • Health checks 8%

Source: https://covid-small-business.mckinsey.com/en/back-to-business/consumer-sentiment

Mask and barriers
35%
Cleaning & sanitization
25%
No-contact purchasing
12%
Physical distancing
10%
Store regulations
8%
Health checks
8%

Additional TIPS for clients who own or run businesses.

  • Take your temperature daily

  • If at all possible, take the temperature of people who enter your facility

  • Install plastic barriers

  • Practice social distancing with floor signage

  • Wear face covering

  • Proactively disinfect your facility. Unless someone who has entered your facility, has had a confirmed case of COIVD-19, you do not need a professional like Allied Restoration. 

  • Go to our website alliedrestore.com/covid-training, for guidelines on how to keep your facility clean. 

At Allied Restoration, our goal is to take people from Crisis to Competence. We don’t want safety to be limited to our service, instead to be guided by it.