Are Your Safety Strategies Damaging Your Facility?

Facility managers have stepped up to the challenge of the pandemic by putting occupant safety front and center, implementing a wide range of measures to prioritize health and hygiene.

Unfortunately, some of the safety responses are negatively impacting facility assets such as flooring and other surfaces. Here are some issues to watch for, as well as tips on how to mitigate them.

Hand Sanitizer Stations

Facility managers have responded to the coronavirus pandemic by more than doubling the number of hand sanitizer units in their buildings, according to a new GP PRO survey.

But some of the chemicals commonly found in hand sanitizers can be hard on flooring. Hydrogen peroxide, which is one of the most common hand sanitizer ingredients, can bleach carpet and other surfaces. Hand sanitizing chemicals can also leave harmful residues on hard surface flooring, potentially damage factory finishes, and stain porous flooring. The acidic chemicals found in many sanitizers may even etch natural stone and polished concrete. As your office occupancy increases, the amount of hand sanitizer that finds its way on your flooring will also increase, along with the risk of damage.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to minimize this risk. The simplest and easiest one is to put a mat under your sanitizer dispensers. Use rubber or rubber-backed mats to prevent liquids and gels from seeping through to your installed flooring. If mats are not an option, there are protective topical coatings and sealers for hard surface flooring that are chemical resistant or can buy some time to clean up the spills before damage occurs.

Call MilliCare for restoration of damaged floors, as well as protective coating options.

Directional/Social Distancing Floor Decals

Many facilities are using floor decals to encourage social distancing and to establish directional traffic flow as their employees return to the office. Unfortunately, these decals can create a sticky situation when they need to be removed, leaving adhesive residue.

MilliCare can treat and remove the residue to ensure that the adhesive doesn’t attract soil and damage your carpet or other flooring.

Another option is to avoid this issue entirely by using mats or carpet tiles for social distancing/directional messaging instead of decals.

Cleaning & Disinfection

In many cases, a deep cleaning will be all you need to protect occupant health. However, in instances where disinfection is needed, it’s important to be discerning in your choice of disinfectant. Some disinfectant chemistries have a higher level of toxicity and a negative environmental impact. In addition, over-application of disinfectants can have a negative impact on occupant health, the environment, and your budget. Avoid the “more is better” approach and use only what is needed to accomplish the objective.

For facility managers who want to prioritize both facility preservation and occupant safety, it’s vital to choose the safest, most effective disinfectants available and use them in the safest and most effective way. It is important to make sure that the disinfectant you choose does not, over time, damage the surfaces you are applying it to. MilliCare is committed to keeping you and the environment as safe as possible; we have carefully selected a disinfectant product that provides hospital-grade disinfection capabilities, but is gentle on your facility’s surfaces and falls in the lowest EPA toxicity category possible.

The good news is that it is possible to implement strategies to keep your facility safe for returning employees while also protecting your facility assets. Contact MilliCare today to find out how we can help!