Sanitation Steps for Success

By Brian Perkins on May 29th, 2020

Now more than ever, we at HNM Systems believe in the importance of implementing practices that will protect the health of our team members, families, and communities. We undoubtedly agree with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that individuals should enact frequent sanitation practices to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and decrease the probability of catching the disease themselves.

Following the CDC’s guidance, we recommend washing your hands often, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, wearing a mask, and practicing social distancing.

 

Wash Your Hands

Wash your hands before and after interacting with others, caring for someone who is ill, visiting a public place, or preparing food. Be sure to also wash your hands after handling garbage, blowing your nose, coughing, and/or sneezing.

When washing hands, ensure to wet them with warm and clean water, lather the soap until suds appear, scrub in between fingers and under nails for at least 20 seconds, rinse hands under running water, and dry them with a clean towel. To prevent cracking of skin, apply hand lotion after thorough washing.

If you do not have access to soap and water, use a hand sanitizer that contains a minimum of 60% alcohol.

Clean and Disinfect

Clean frequently touched surfaces such as phones, countertops, door knobs, light switches, and sinks on a daily basis.

Cleaning with soap and water reduces the amount of germs on a given surface, while using disinfectant kills the germs in an area. Both are effective and important sanitation measures.

To protect skin and prevent the inhalation of fumes, wear gloves and a mask when using cleaning agents.

Wear a Mask

While a surgical-grade mask (e.g., N-95) prevents the transmission of germs more effectively, it is important to leave medical masks available for healthcare personnel. Wear a cloth mask instead that covers your nose and mouth when in public places. The mask should comprise multiple layers of fabric and fit snugly around the ears.

A quick Google search will provide you with a lot of mask-making patterns and instructions should you have difficulty acquiring a mask elsewhere.

Need a mask? Email info@hnmsystems.com and we will order you a pack of two and donate two through a local San Diego business, Allett.

Social Distancing

As important as masks are, wearing one is not a substitute for social distancing.

Select individuals, who are said to be asymptomatic, can spread the virus without experiencing symptoms themselves. Therefore, it is important to practice social distancing to limit the chances of transmitting the disease.

Attempt to stay within your home during quarantine protocol. When visiting an essential business (e.g., grocery store, doctor, or bank), maintain a minimum distance of six feet apart (about two arms’ length) from another person

Avoid gatherings of groups of people and attempt to shop for essential items during unpopular hours. Plan to purchase a full one to two weeks’ of groceries in a single shopping trip rather than making multiple trips during the week.

Following these sanitation steps is crucial to successfully keeping our coworkers, customers, families, and communities healthy. Ram Nath Kovind, President of India, said it best: “Sanitation and cleanliness are among the humblest of the civic virtues, and it’s easy to underestimate their significance.”