Even at the best of times, keeping emergency vehicles clean can be a difficult job. Once you factor in the requirements of infection control to restrict the spread of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, it’s an even more specialist task. For police officers and paramedics, emergency vehicles are their places of work. It’s therefore especially important to prevent the vehicles themselves becoming the source of another emergency – namely, a Covid-19 infection. In this blog, we’re going to look at the importance of emergency vehicle cleaning in the light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Emergency vehicle cleaning and decontamination across the UK
There are some 50,000 emergency vehicles across the UK, according to government statistics. This figure is derived from Home Office information about the new Emergency Services Network (ESN) critical communications system. Among other users, the police, fire and rescue, and ambulance services are all plugged into ESN. Of the vehicles which ESN covers, around 10,000 are ambulances and other emergency health vehicles used by paramedic services. We, therefore, estimate that around 15,000 vehicles are those used by the police.
Generally speaking, police emergency vehicles require regular deep cleaning to cope with their daily use. Many of those arrested by the police will be under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. As such, they may not be fully in control of their bodily functions. Moreover, some may have been involved in altercations, which may have caused them to bleed. We work with several police authorities and their contract service providers to ensure the clean, safe and hygienic operation of their emergency vehicles.
Enhanced health and safety for emergency vehicle infection control
During the pandemic, it’s particularly important to get cleaning right. The last thing that police services need is for their vehicles to become the source of their own emergency. All organisations have had to carry out new risk assessments and enhance their health and safety policies to mitigate risks surrounding Covid-19. For police services and their contractors, we can help them adapt their existing cleaning arrangements as a hygiene and decontamination specialist. As well as a first response service where there has been a confirmed Covid-19 case, we offer regular preventative deep cleaning.
We deploy a methodology which gets to the heart of infection control: ‘test, clean, disinfect and test again’. We swab and test a number of high-touch areas for traces of pathogen. The results of testing will determine what cleaning method needs to be applied prior to a vehicle returning to service. If testing comes back negative, this could be a spring-clean approach, wiping down and sanitising all surfaces and high-touch areas.
Alternatively, if there are residual pathogens, we can deploy a more thorough cleaning and disinfection protocol. We use premium materials and proven procedures to ensure the vehicle is not only superficially clean, but also free from potential contaminants. Whether we deploy Ultra Low Volume (ULV) fogging or Ultraviolet light (UVC) decontamination, we’ll get the job done quickly and safely.
Working safely during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
As an employer ourselves, we know the importance of health and safety. Our team is highly trained, medically fit, well-equipped, security-cleared and inoculated to protect themselves from hazard. We operate to industry-leading standards including BS-EN-ISO 9001:2018. We are also a licensed waste carrier with a fully traceable waste disposal system. Indeed, we’re experts in hazardous and bio-hazardous waste removal and ISO14001 for Environmental Management.
Every employer has responsibilities towards their staff and contractors. During the pandemic, there needs to be a particular focus on working safely. As such, it’s vital to keep emergency vehicles clean, not least to ensure the health and safety of officers on the ground. At React Specialist Cleaning, we react quickly, remove the risks, and reassure our clients that they can work safely.
You can download our free Coronavirus Fact Sheet for more information. With so much misinformation out there about coronavirus, our fact sheet puts some social media myths about the virus to bed. And with a handy list of do’s and don’ts, we’re making every workplace and home safer. Register to download our fact sheet for free.
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To find out more about how our emergency vehicle cleaning services to limit coronavirus risks and stop new emergencies from emerging, contact one of the team today.
Telephone: 01283 550 503
Email: info@reactplc.co.uk
Website: www.reactsc.co.uk
Post by Shaun D. Doak
Shaun is the CEO of React Group plc., a business dedicated to specialist cleaning, hygiene and decontamination. He is deeply committed to making sure that every one of our company’s clients receives the highest possible level of service. An expert in HVAC and commercial and industrial cleaning methodologies, Shaun has extensive experience in the facilities management and renewable services sector.