For the purpose of transparency and to reassure our customers, here is the procedure sent to all our technicians in this time of crisis.
To all technicians,
Your safety, well-being and health remain a priority. Thank you for continuing to support our customers. We recommend that vehicle interiors be sprayed with cleaning solutions and wiped down before working. The work is done with disposable gloves and you clean any surface you may have touched after the job.
The following Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is recommended:
- Gloves: Disposable gloves must be worn at all times on site, including latex gloves.
- Eye Protection: Eye protection should be worn at all times during repairs and/or installations.
- Note: Health Canada does not currently recommend that healthy people wear face masks .
Additional precautionary measures for protection against coronavirus:
No driver is accepted inside the vehicle, even if he is the owner of the vehicle. Customers are notified and you can refuse to work in the vehicle if the driver insists. Travel and waiting costs will then be charged to the customer.
Promote frequent and thorough hand washing with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds. We ask that you have an alcohol-based solution to wash your hands when running water is not available.
Refer to Health Canada guidelines:
- All workers should wash their hands regularly, especially before eating,
- Smoking, drinking, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing;
- Workers should refrain from touching their face;
- Maintain a distance of 2 meters from other technicians and/or personnel.
Hand sanitizer is acceptable in the interval between handwashing availability. All workers should wash their hands before and after entering any unit, as well as regularly and periodically throughout the day.
Some sites may have access to hot water for hand washing. If this is an option, please get permission from the facility owner to use their sink and sanitize frequently.
Tools and other equipment should be wiped down with disinfectant after daily use.
If working remotely, fill an Igloo-type water cooler with water (hot water, if available) and label it “hand wash only”. It is also a good option for vehicles.
Health Canada says that “for disinfection, dilute household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions containing at least 70% alcohol, and most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective.”
Bleach:
Bleach can be diluted with cold water to make an effective disinfectant against bacteria, fungi, and many viruses, including coronaviruses. You can usually use ¼ cup of bleach to 1 gallon of cold water – but be sure to follow the directions on your bleach label.
Prepare a diluted bleach solution as needed and use it within 24 hours, as its disinfection ability wears off over time.
Bleaching solutions are very harsh on the skin and should not be used as a substitute for hand washing and/or hand sanitizer.
Alcohol:
Alcohol in many forms, including rubbing alcohol, can be effective in killing many pathogens. You can dilute the alcohol with water (or aloe vera to make hand sanitizer), but be sure to keep the alcohol concentration around 70% to kill coronavirus. Many hand sanitizers have a concentration of around 60% alcohol, and Lysol contains around 80%; they are all effective against coronaviruses.
70% alcohol solutions should be left on surfaces for 30 seconds to ensure they will kill viruses. Pure alcohol (100%) evaporates too quickly for this purpose.
Containers of 70% alcohol should be sealed to prevent evaporation. But unlike bleach solutions, they will remain effective as long as they are sealed between uses.
A 70% alcohol solution with water will be very harsh on hands and should not be used as a substitute for hand washing and/or hand sanitizer.
Hydrogen peroxide:
Hydrogen peroxide is usually sold in concentrations around 3%. It can be used as is or diluted to a concentration of 0.5% for effective use against coronaviruses on surfaces. It should be left on surfaces for one minute before wiping off.
Natural chemicals (vinegar or tea tree oil)
Vinegar, tea tree oil and other natural products are not recommended for coronavirus control. One flu virus study found that cleaning with a 10% solution of malt vinegar was effective, but few other studies have shown that vinegar can kill a significant fraction of viruses or other microbes. Although tea tree oil may help control the virus, there is no evidence that it can kill coronaviruses.
In summary, here is the procedure:
- Use of PPE at all times;
- Cleaning vehicles before starting (key, door handle, handle to get into the vehicle, dashboard, steering wheel and any surface you are likely to touch);
- No drivers/owners/technicians inside the vehicle or within two meters of you;
- Cleaning after installations / repairs of equipment and surfaces touched during service;
- Daily cleaning of your work vehicle and your tools.
Thank you all for your collaboration and together we will get through this crisis.
