University of Illinois Facilities and Services

Updated Building Services Department—Strategies and Service Levels for COVID-19 response coordinated around the campus return to on-campus operations are available at https:go.fs.illinois.edu/BuildingServices. Specific questions and feedback regarding cleaning and disinfecting activities should be directed to covid19cleaning@illinois.edu.

PPE and cleaning supplies for university staff are available online through Stores & Receiving at no charge. Departments and units will be reimbursed for those items after a purchase is made. Once logged into iStores, navigate to the "COVID-19 Supplies" category (anyone with a university NetID and password can log in). The user must be authorized as an approver to place an order (see the form in the customer service section of the Stores & Receiving link below).  An updated list of available products is also at https://fs.illinois.edu/services/more-services/stores-receiving.

All cleaning and disinfecting supplies available in iStores meet the EPA’s criteria for the use against SARS-CoV-2.  An approved product list is available at https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2#filter_col1. For all products, the label instructions should be followed to ensure safe use.

F&S ordered more than 30 electrostatic sprayers recently and has already received eight units. During the fall semester, the Building Services department will initiate nightly decontamination of classrooms utilizing electrostatic sprayers and CDC approved disinfectant. As more units are acquired, Building Services is planning on utilizing electrostatic sprayers across all shifts for various disinfection activities.

The CDC provided information to the National Association for Music Education regarding instrument cleaning and disinfection.  A summary of that information is available at https://www.nfhs.org/articles/covid-19-instrument-cleaning-guidelines/. All other cleaning and disinfection procedures should follow the CDC’s Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools, and Homes.

Units and departments should follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance for “Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools, and Homes.” General F&S custodial service levels during the COVID-19 pandemic will need to be complemented by individuals consistently performing behavioral practices that emphasize virus mitigation between cleaning cycles. These activities include social distancing, wearing face coverings, frequent/thorough handwashing, and staying home if you are sick, as well as supplementing cleaning and disinfection practices in departmental areas with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved products.

Recommended Cleaning, Disinfection, and Maintenance Practices:

• Wiping/disinfecting individual or shared workstations, equipment, or appliances
• Disinfecting conference rooms before and after meetings, including partitions or sneeze guards
• Disinfecting vehicles before and after use
• Cleaning shared workspace areas, collaboration spaces, break rooms, and kitchenettes or coffee stations 
• Placing office trash receptacles outside doors when needing to be emptied
• Wiping down reception areas after visitor/student interactions; disinfecting countertops
• Refilling hand sanitizer containers in work areas

Please take the following precautions regarding departmental water systems, which have been idle or lightly used during the COVID-19 pandemic:

Water Supply and Systems:

Run water through all departmental sinks and systems to ensure that stagnant water in pipes is thoroughly flushed out.

Ice Makers and Ice Maker Basins:

Discard any ice that was left in departmental ice maker bins/basins. Clean and sanitize the inside and outside of all ice makers and ice bins. Producing a batch of ice to flush the unit out may be necessary if discolored water is an issue.

According to the CDC, “There is no evidence showing anyone has gotten COVID-19 through drinking water, recreational water, or wastewater. The risk of COVID-19 transmission through water is expected to be low.”

Please refer to the answer for “What are the cleaning and safety tips for individuals and units/departments?

Campus units with leased spaces should review existing agreements for custodial and maintenance options to address the implementation of CDC recommended COVID-19 mitigation strategies.

The F&S Health and Safety Response Team was established to help colleges, departments, and units minimize the potential for community spread of COVID-19 in university facilities and work areas. The team developed Social Distancing Considerations for COVID-19, which provides an overview of how to help limit the potential for exposure through proper space utilization and social distancing measures in different locations, such as shared office spaces, entrances, break rooms, elevators, restrooms, and conference rooms. The document also details steps for the use of vehicles, as well as communication and signage best practices.  For questions or to inquire about a consultation, contact covid19fsconsulting@illinois.edu.

Presently, F&S is focused on the university’s return to on-campus operations and transitioning additional shop and departmental staff back to on-site work in support of service work and project requests.  The unit will continue to follow the recommendations and guidance provided by the COVID-19 Recovery Planning and Response Committees for the expected return of on-campus instruction during the fall semester.

If someone is sick or believed to been exposed to COVID-19, they should not come into work and contact a supervisor immediately while following applicable sick leave procedures. CDC guidance on self-quarantine is available at https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/quarantineisolation.html. Taking these proactive measures, when necessary, will help prevent exposure and potential transmission to the greatest extent possible.

The reason to wear a face covering is to be considerate and help protect others. The entire campus community is strongly encouraged to remind visitors that via a state executive order, all individuals are required to wear a face covering when in a public place where they cannot maintain six-feet of social distance. This applies to those persons over the age of two who are able to medically tolerate a face covering. COVID-19 notice signage will be placed at all building entrances instructing individuals to wear a face covering.

Presently, the university will be supplying employees with two washable, reusable face coverings. This action will allow individuals to comply with the state’s executive order requiring any individual who is over age two and able to medically tolerate a face covering (a mask or cloth face covering) to cover their nose and mouth with a face covering when in a public place and unable to maintain a six-foot social distance.  

Building Services will continue to regularly empty trash in general-use campus areas and locations, such as classrooms, laboratories, conference rooms, copy rooms, kitchens, lounges, and computer rooms. For service of office trash receptacles, departmental staff are asked to place the containers outside of those rooms in either the nearest main hallway or corridor.  BSWs will also continue performing recycling activities in hallways and common areas for paper and bottles/cans. As typical, individuals are asked to transfer paper materials from a desk-side paper bin to a full-size bin to facilitate the recycling process.

Campus elevators will have standard COVID-19 notice signage reminding users to wear a face covering, limit 1-2 riders to maintain social distance, cleanse hands after pushing buttons, and avoid making contact with high-touch surfaces. Due to the variability of elevator types and designs on campus, specific decisions will need to be made by users on how to follow social distance and virus prevention best practices while riding (e.g., one rider per trip, two individuals remaining catty-corner and facing away from one another). 

Due to the different designs of restroom facilities on campus and the number of single-locking all gender restrooms available, users will need to make decisions on how to follow social distancing and virus mitigation strategies properly while using restrooms. COVID-19 notice signage will be placed at the entryway to each facility.

At this time, the university follows guidance from the CDC stating, “The virus that causes COVID-19 has been found in the feces of some patients diagnosed with COVID-19. However, it is unclear whether the virus found in feces may be capable of causing COVID-19. There has not been any confirmed report of the virus spreading from feces to a person. Scientists also do not know how much risk there is that the virus could be spread from the feces of an infected person to another person. However, they think this risk is low based on data from previous outbreaks of diseases caused by related coronaviruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).”

No. Designated routes to the nearest emergency exit or severe weather refuge area should be immediately followed in university facilities during an actual emergency.

Both options are available. However, picking up items at this time is typically quicker due to the high order volume scheduled for delivery.  There is no charge for delivery.

The CDC recommends either using a clean towel or air drying hands as a best practice because “germs can be transferred more easily to and from wet hands.” If someone does not completely dry their hands, it is possible that the cleaning process will not kill all of the bacteria. The use of paper towels in restrooms is highly recommended, when available, because the towels can also be used on any touch points while leaving restrooms to help further avoid bacteria contamination.

All university employees should continue to wear face coverings while on in university facilities, if medically able to do so, unless they are alone in a private space or room with the door closed. Due to social distancing guidelines and face covering requirements, the signs of heat illness may be more difficult to detect, but employees are encouraged to follow standard precautions to prevent heat-related illnesses while working in hot environments.
 
·       Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, and light-colored clothing.
·       Protect against sunburn. Sunburn affects your body’s ability to cool itself, so protect yourself outdoors with a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, and use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Apply sunscreen generously; reapply every two hours—or more often if sweating. 
·       Drink plenty of fluids. Workers should drink a liter of water every hour, about one cup every 15 minutes. Staying hydrated will help your body sweat and maintain a normal body temperature.
·       Some drinks that contain high levels of sugar, alcohol, and caffeine (energy drinks, beer, soda, etc.) can actually accelerate the dehydration process and should be avoided or watered down (such as Gatorade™).
·       Take extra precautions with certain medications. Be on the lookout for heat-related problems if you take medications that can affect your body’s ability to stay hydrated and dissipate heat.
·       Never leave anyone in a parked car. This is a common cause of heat-related deaths in children. When parked in the sun, the temperature in your car can rise 20 degrees Fahrenheit (more than 6.7° Celsius) in 10 minutes. 
·       Get acclimated. Limit time spent working or exercising in heat until adequately conditioned for it. People who are not used to hot weather are especially susceptible to heat-related illness. It can take several weeks for your body to adjust to hot weather. 
·       Try to schedule exercise or physical labor for cooler parts of the day, such as early morning or evening. If that is not possible, avoid strenuous activity in hot weather, drink fluids, and frequently rest in a cool spot. 

F&S has deployed more than 600 U of I hand sanitizer stations at or near the first-floor entrances of campus buildings. BSWs will refill and maintain the units as necessary.

To help prioritize COVID-19 related cleaning activities, private offices and workstations will not be entered and cleaned by BSWs unless specifically requested by departments and units. Trash left outside of doors and aisles in general areas will be collected.

F&S created a new 3–11:30 p.m. afternoon shift, which started on Monday, August 10. The adjustment will complement the existing day and deep night rotations to better focus personnel on cleaning general facility areas and high-touch surfaces as a part of the organization’s ongoing response to COVID-19. More information is available at https://fs.illinois.edu/resources/newsroom/2020/07/28/building-services-schedule-adjustments.