COVID-19 A-Z
Central Virginia Community College cares about the safety of its staff and students and is following guidelines and resources provided by the CDC, VDH and EPA so that campus areas are properly cleaned, and disinfected, and appropriate hygiene is practiced.
Facilities Management has an inventory of supplies used for cleaning and disinfecting spaces including – gloves, spray bottles, EPA recommended disinfectants proven effective against COVID-19, soap, paper towels, alcohol-based wipes for electronics, and disinfectant wipes for hard (non-porous) surfaces. Supply inventories are appropriately stored in a climate-controlled storage warehouse within the Facilities Management Department. Each work area and classroom that will be utilized will receive the necessary products to begin classes. Supervisory staff who are responsible for work areas and classrooms should replenish these supplies as they are consumed by completing an order in the 'School Dude' system.
Cleaning and Disinfecting are an important part of our strategy against the threats of Covid-19. Cleaning removes existing dirt and germs, while Disinfecting kills most germs when using the proper EPA recommended disinfectants found here:
https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2-covid-19
Employees will keep work areas clean and disinfected with materials provided by Facilities Management that includes ready-to-use sprays, concentrates, and wipes. While cleaning, staff will use face coverings, gloves, and eye protection where applicable. They will also make sure there is proper ventilation and keep their hands away from their faces. They will wash their hands thoroughly when finished and use approved EPA cleaning disinfectants.
If a surface is dirty, it is recommended to use a mild soap and water solution to clean the surface before disinfecting. To disinfect, it is recommended to use an alcohol-based wipe or similar cleaning solution approved by the EPA.
For soft surfaces, such as carpeted floors, rugs, drapes, and chair backs and seats staff will wipe down or clean using approved alcohol-based wipes or spray cleaner to remove possible contamination. * Instructors will wipe down all frequently touched targeted areas before, in between and after all classes, within their instructional space as listed below in addition to other cleaning protocols further detailed below. A minimum cleaning/disinfecting is recommended every two hours if there are long periods between classes. Here are some of the recommended areas to be cleaned/disinfected:
CVCC maintains a contract with an excellent national janitorial services and facilities management contractor that performs what is traditionally an overnight cleaning as well as daytime cleaning and disinfecting. This vendor stays abreast of the industry, specifically as it applies to the appropriate cleaning and disinfecting products and techniques that can be employed. Further, they have the capability to offer advanced services such as applying disinfecting mists for enhanced and widespread disinfection or in response to any specific outbreak if it should occur. The contractor has staff at many colleges within Virginia and the Southeast and maintains effective employee training programs specific to effective cleaning and disinfection. While our cleaning and disinfection protocols have traditionally been scheduled in the evenings after classes are complete, the vendor has been proactive and changed many of its shifts to be ‘on-site’ during the day. As a result, we have hired an additional Custodial Day Porter to clean during the day between classes Monday – Friday, working various hours. They will be cleaning and disinfecting any common spaces that are used during operating hours concentrating on “high touched areas” such as restrooms, the Student Center, and Student Aid areas while classes are in session, and in addition, the custodial staff will perform a complete and thorough cleaning at night. In summary, cleaning is occurring as spaces are used throughout operating hours with complete cleaning occurring each night. Spaces are professionally cleaned multiple times each day. While the current daily cleaning regimens are more than adequate, we will do a thorough professional cleaning of the campus utilizing a concentration of CDC-approved disinfectants before Fall 2021 courses begin as an added measure. We completed this at the end of the Spring and Fall 2020 semesters, and rooms were marked for restricted entry after the cleaning occurred. Protocol was set in place so that each time a room was entered, both Security and Facilities were notified so that additional cleaning and disinfection could be re-administered as another layer of protection. For the Spring and Fall 2021 semesters, all rooms will be thoroughly cleaned before and after each use.
Classrooms, Laboratories, and Computers Labs. While some course offerings will still be offered online for the fall 2021 Semester, our goal for the Fall Semester is to increase onsite classes to 60% capacity. Facilities Management has a schedule of all courses that will be on campus and will schedule cleaning by our third-party vendor after each usage of the classroom. This schedule is coordinated daily with the cleaning contract manager. We have also hired an additional Custodial Day Porter that will be doing dedicated and specialized cleaning of Common Areas during the Fall Semester. The instructors are required to follow the strict cleaning guidelines as mentioned throughout this document. As stated earlier, both cleaning and approved disinfecting solutions and materials will be provided to each classroom and work area. Each classroom is equipped with disposable gloves and face coverings. Instructors have been asked to use a combination of soaps and waters, disinfecting wipes and sprays to clean surfaces before, during and after classes. Additional, professional cleaning is provided after each class by the third-party vendor. Each night, areas are also cleaned and disinfected as they are used by the vendor’s staff who are assigned to night operations. Instructional spaces are cleaned continually, throughout the day as they are used, and will follow all CDC and VDH guidelines, and records are maintained of this activity. Enhanced training on cleaning and disinfection will continue to be provided to college staff who work in these areas, and vendor staff receive continuous training as well. The use of shared items or equipment will be minimized to the maximum extent possible; however, we will individually equip each room with adequate cleaning and disinfectant supplies to wipe off any shared items or equipment to ensure that the shared item is properly disinfected. All “High Touch” areas in classrooms or common areas are cleaned and disinfected by the instructors and the cleaning crew before, in-between and after classes. Office work areas will be provided with appropriate cleaning and approved disinfecting solutions and materials. While a complete daily cleaning is provided by the janitorial vendor and custodial staff, supervisors will schedule supplemental cleaning and disinfection during working hours. The supervisor of each office will create a schedule for each office to ensure that cleaning duties are assigned, and cleaning is occurring throughout each day.
Common Areas – The Student Common Areas are expected to see more traffic in the Fall Semester due to the increased in-person student visits. This includes the Learning Commons, Tutoring Centers, Student Centers, and the Fitness Area. These areas will continue to receive daily vendor cleaning and disinfection from our vendor. Additionally, there are dedicated full-time and part-time people that are responsible for cleaning and disinfecting common use areas. Restrooms are cleaned and sanitized daily by vendor staff throughout the operating schedule. The college day staff frequently clean and disinfect these areas as well throughout the hours of operation. Trash cans have been added near restroom doors where possible. Signage has been posted on campus and in restrooms regarding social distancing, handwashing procedures and stopping the spread of germs. The restroom doors have been equipped with a "handsfree" foot opening device as an additional precaution. Hands free sinks, toilets and urinal operating sensors have been installed making them "touch-free". State vehicles – Travel using State Fleet Vehicles will be reviewed on a case-to-case basis. Requests will be coordinated with the CVCC Covid-19 team and compared to DHRM vehicle use guidance. The employee using the car will be provided with disinfecting wipes for disinfection and wiping down of the car’s interior before being returned. A facility employee will perform a follow-up cleaning and disinfection. The college does have access to vehicle cleaning contracts that can be used for general cleaning purposes as well.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/disinfecting-building-facility.html
CVCC has provided and will continue to provide wall mounted battery-operated touchless hand sanitizer dispensers throughout campus near entrances, hallways, outside restrooms etc. This is supplemented by other sanitizer dispensers as needed. All restrooms have hand-washing stations with appropriate antimicrobial soaps and multiple functioning sinks. https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html Practice Safe Distancing. At the time of this publication, Students shall still stay at least 6 feet apart from each other when standing and should sit in every other chair while in class. The student seating will be staggered so that the students are not sitting directly besides, in front or behind each other. The spaces between students will be clearly marked so students will not sit in those spots. Signage will be posted announcing safe-distancing practices are in place. Class participants should wash their hands before and after class with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not present, they should use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. They should also avoid touching their eyes, nose, or mouth.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/clean-disinfect/index.html