How to Sanitize and Disinfect Used Industrial Equipment to avoid covid-19?

COVID-19 is a matter of concern at the moment. This is an unfortunate event to eclipse the world with the kind of gravity the World War II had. In March 2020, the Worldometer has reported more than 351,083 positive cases worldwide. This has made various governments across the world impose bans on social gatherings, interstate or intrastate traveling, and other non-essential activities. Social distancing is recommended by world governments to avoid the outspread of the disease. The virus strain can spread through human contact, surfaces, and so on.

Although most manufacturers are facing a downturn in terms of reduced orders, supply chain challenges, and absent employees, they cannot afford to keep their manufacturing plants closed for several days. To keep it going, they have adopted various safety-driven and productive strategies to reduce the impact of the disease, without losing on their productivity. Sanitizing surroundings and industrial process equipment, promoting hygienic practices among employees, encouraging employees to work from home, offering paid sick leaves to employees with any symptoms of a disease feature on the list of initiatives undertaken by leading manufacturers across the US to curb the impact of the pandemic. Of all these, sanitization has emerged as a priority among manufacturers, suppliers, and regular people. This post discusses a few proven sanitization techniques that may be helpful for manufacturing facilities that are still busy processing important orders.

How and When to Clean Your Industrial Equipment During COVID-19

Many leading organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have recommended people and businesses to sanitize high touch areas in their homes and offices. Most types of industrial equipment feature high-touch surfaces, and they might be handled by several people during the day, which increases the risk of contamination. Research by the University Medicine Greifswald and Ruhr University Bochum suggests that the virus strain stays active on plastic, glass, and metal surfaces of the equipment for at least nine days if not properly cleaned. There has been little information available online on sanitizing equipment in offices and manufacturing facilities. The following tips will be helpful.

  • Clean the surfaces of equipment regularly (perhaps after every hour) to remove any debris, dust, and contaminants due to manufacturing operations. This can be easily done using a hand towel and a soapy water solution. You can also use steam cleaners to clean dirty equipment surfaces. Many industrial facilities are already using them to remove grease and fat residues from over the equipment. They are also ideal for cleaning mechanical parts of motors, electric boards, filters, ventilation grills, and other moisture-sensitive equipment. Water cannons and pressure washers are also ideal for cleaning the equipment of grime and grease.
  • Next, you must use a surface-appropriate disinfectant. The quickest and safest way to do it is using a disinfectant spray or disinfectant wipes. Isopropyl alcohol and hydrogen peroxide are also two popular choices of disinfectants available to you. Additionally, you can check the list of disinfectants published by EPA to know more.

Both these steps must be performed at regular intervals to avoid contamination. You can also repeat these steps to clean and sanitize floors and other high-touch surfaces at your facility. Now, regular sanitization does not mean you should avoid scheduled repair and maintenance of this equipment. The equipment must be lubricated periodically, checked for defects, and visually inspected for wearing and tearing before you start working. The disinfection process must be performed wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves and masks. This PPE must be disposed of safely after every use. JM Industrial wishes safety to all its employees and clients at this crucial time of COVID-19 pandemic. The experts at the company will help you in setting a sanitization routine for all surplus and used industrial equipment purchased through them. You can contact the team at JM Industrial to know more.