COVID-19 Safety Resources for Tool Managers & Contractors

Tool Cleaning: Resources for COVID-19

Helping where we can (Please send any tips/tricks/info you have to us to be added to this resource.)

COVID SAFETY GUIDE FOR TOOL MANAGEMENT

At ShareMyToolbox we are looking for ways to support our clients during these challenging times. As such, our support lines remain open and we are fully operational, event providing extended support as needed. Our development team also continues work on our new functions which we expect to release on schedule!

Beyond helping with our tool tracking app we thought it might be useful if we provided links to resources for maintaining a COVID clean facility and tool inventory. We have collected these links from various sources and they represent the current knowledge at the time of publishing. In this environment, information can change and we certainly are not medical professionals.  Thus, we hope you find this useful but certainly use it as one of many sources when making your own decisions. We are simply passing on information gathered from a variety of sources including recommendations from our customers. If you have useful information to be added to this guide please contact us at info@sharemytoolbox.com and we will add it where needed. Please read on…

Warehouse & Facility Cleaning

Cleaning certainly starts with the warehouse and shop. Maintaining a clean facility is a challenge during normal times. In these extraordinary times, it is both more important and harder to accomplish. We recommend the two following links for information on facility management related to Covid-19 cleaning.

First, is the go-to resource during this outbreak which is the CDC. They have published a page of resources specifically for facility maintenance and cleaning to combat COVID. Items of particular interest in this CDC COVID Facility Cleaning Publication are:

1. There is a link to approved disinfectants to be used.
2. Procedures for cleaning a facility that has a known infection and for before there is a known infection.
3. Procedures for electronic equipment. (Which applies to many modern tools and equipment.)
4. A useful section at the bottom titled “Additional Considerations for Employers”

We also found an interesting resource online published by The Janitorial Store. This article titled “Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic Information” was written for professional cleaning companies. It has a wealth of information and suggestions for the commercial cleaning environment including recommended pricing for cleaning a facility which might be useful in considering the internal costs of cleaning and any additional job costs resulting from added cleaning.

I found the following section of the document particularly relevant for our industry: (Re-published directly from The Janitorial Store, all rights to this are theirs.)

SPRAYING AND TREATMENT METHODS:

Spray and Wipe:

• 2 Pass system
• First pass is Routine cleaning. 
• Second pass Disinfecting.
• Production rate for spray and wipe 350-400 square feet per hour. 

Electrostatic Sprayer:

Electrostatic sprayers can do up to 23,000 square feet with 2.5 gallons of solution. You can set your own per hour pricing for this service. Take into consideration what the client wants done.

• Do they want on-call service, recurring service, one time treatment?
• Keep in mind that depending on the tip size you’re using you will use more or less solution. Common tip sizes are 60-80-110 micron.
• When using larger output of solution the dwell time is longer.
  • Large output – 10 minutes.
  • Medium output – 4-10 minutes
  • Sanitizing – 2 minutes

Foggers:

You can use foggers, but in most cases you will need to clean surfaces before treating.

• Foggers can treat 6,000 cubic square feet at a time.
• The Powr-Flite Commercial Fogger — Model# PF04 sprays up to 25ft. with full coverage.
• Pricing per square foot would be similar to those prices listed above
• Per hour pricing – you’ll want to workload the job to determine the estimated time to treat. Review pricing above. 

Paint Sprayers:

• Use sprayer that can spray disinfectant.
• Use a tip for mist. 
• Use a “Quats” disinfectant with 10-minute dwell time. 

HOW LONG CAN COVID 19 SURVIVE ON A SURFACE?

• Reports has shown COVID 19 can survive from 2 hours to 9 days on surfaces. 
• 3 days on plastic and stainless steel
• 24 hour on cardboard
• 4 hours on copper surfaces

CONFIRMED CASE AT A LOCATION:

• Wait 24-48 hours before entering space. 
• Droplet linger in the air for 3-6 hours. Open windows and increase ventilation.
• Use full PPE when treating. Disposable hazmat suit with googles, mask and face shield.

ONE, TWO, AND THREE PASS CLEANING SYSTEM FOR CLEANING AND DISINFECTING

The article also provides specific step by step explanations of what a one/two/three pass cleaning process should include. Very helpful if you are implementing an internal process to be followed at construction job sites or shop locations.

Tool & Equipment Cleaning

When cleaning tools and equipment it can be hard to know what the right procedures are. Of course they need to be cleaned but you also need to avoid damaging them! Knowing that COVID can survive on a plastic or metal surface for 3 days or more means almost every tool returning from a project site needs to be both cleaned and likely quarantined for several days if possible. We found a good resource published by the MCAA (Mechanical Contractors Association of America) that was written by Milwaukee. They have some guidelines for cleaning Milwaukee tools which likely apply widely: MCAA Milwaukee CLEANING OF TOOLS TO HELP PREVENT SPREAD OF COVID-19. (All rights to this document are Milwaukee & MCAA’s.)

Occupational Safety & Health Administration

OSHA is maintaining a website of resources for employers that has a wealth of information. Definitely check it out OSHA COVID-19.

Final Thoughts

The professional management of tools and equipment in the construction industry has always been an important part of providing a safe and productive work environment. Managing tools well in the shop as well as in the field leads to a safe environment for all laborers. With the new challenges the industry faces from biological hazards, tool managers now have another important element to their work. We hope these resources help you and your company stay healthy as you continue the essential work of construction & repair in our society. We trust that the original publishers of the information contained here won’t mind that we are distributing it to our network of construction tool managers as it will lead to a safer work space for thousands of contractors and a safer society for us all.

Above all else, please be safe as you do your work. Like the airlines say, put your own mask on first before helping others!

Have anything to share?

If your company has some good resources to share regarding the cleaning and maintenance of construction tools and equipment related to COVID-19 please send us a note: Contact Us We would be happy to share more information on this topic with our customers if you have things to pass on to your peers.

If you’d like to learn more about modern tool tracking software check out ShareMyToolbox or call, 866.768.8665.