CHEMICAL SAFETY DURING PANDEMIC COVID-19

CHEMICAL SAFETY
DURING THE

COVID 19 PANDEMIC

COVID-19:

Everything You Need to Know

20-30%

of COVID-19 patients are hospitalized. 2% of
those experience severe illnesses.
However, it is worth noting that people who
exhibit more severe symptoms are more
likely to be tested compared to those those
with less severe symptoms.

WHAT IS COVID 19?

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most dangerous
challenges this world has faced in our lifetime. It is above
all a human crisis with severe health and socio-economic
consequences.

The World Health Organization, with thousands of its staff,
is on the front lines, supporting Member States and their
societies, especially the most vulnerable among them, with
guidance, training, equipment and concrete life-saving
services as they fight the virus.

No. of Cases Infections Cases

50% 80% 5%

Part of the Mild or Require
25 to 64 age asymptomatic ventilation
for patients
group

The "panic-then-forget" cycle
must be stopped. Instead, a
"whole-of-society" approach must
be adopted. It is imperative that
the the International Health
Regulations (IHR) be implemented
in countries of all income levels.

Every country should do
everything to follow through on
prioritizing, funding, and
implementing preparedness
interventions.

COVID-19: Know the
Numbers

99% of infected individuals
have been diagnosed with
the mildest strain of the
coronavirus. Only 1% are in
serious/critical condition.

"Most infected people
recover without
hospitalization."

There are currently over 40,000,000
active cases worldwide with more than
30,000,000 recoveries recorded.

96%

Recovered/Discharged
Majority of closed cases are
individuals who have been
discharged and have recovered
completely.

4%

Deaths
Out of the 30,000,000 closed
cases,
4% were deaths.

SARS-CoV-2 infection occurs through direct
and indirect contact, short range droplet
sprays, and aerosol in long-range (airborne

transmission).



Wear a mask and help stop the
spread.

General Safety
Practices

Label your chemical bottles and containers so
that they do not get mistaken for any other
mixture.
Do not store or mix chemicals in a container
that once held food or drink. You don't want
anybody to accidentally ingest chemicals.

Wear gloves when handling disinfecting
solutions. If reusable gloves are used, be sure
to dedicate them for this use only.
Some chemicals have strong vapors which can
cause irritation, so it is a good idea to open a
window and/or run exhaust fans in the kitchen
and bathroom when cleaning and disinfecting.
If using a spray bottle, be mindful where the
overspray lands. You don't want to
accidentally spray chemicals into food.

Keep chemicals in a locked cabinet or
out of reach of children and pets.
If you disinfect a food contact
surface (countertop), be sure to
rinse the surface with water before
preparing food.

Communication: Ensure
Communications Are

Transparent and Clear

Communicating with employees and
the surrounding community is
essential during a pandemic. Rapidly
changing situations, rumors, and
misrepresentations encountered
during pandemic conditions may
foster uncertainty. Thus, the way
leaders and organizations
communicate is a key component in
operational continuity, as well as
maintaining facility, supply chain,
and product security.
Facilities should outline
communication strategies in the
plan to alert personnel and
community members of operational
changes at a facility.

► Maintain a consistent
spokesperson and communication
strategy to avoid confusion.

► Initiate community outreach,
including businesses, neighbors,
and first responders

► Engage with upstream and
downstream stakeholders (i.e.,
those the facility relies on and
those that rely on the facility)

► Use authoritative sources (i.e.,
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention [CDC], local public
health departments, Department of
Homeland Security [DHS], Federal
Bureau of Investigation [FBI], state
law enforcement, INTERPOL, etc.) to
foster confidence in situation and
risk updates.

Safety Measures: Identify and Execute
Strategies to Ensure the

Welfare of Personnel and Facility
Security

Facilities should consider the following
when implementing safety measures:

► Procure and distribute
personal protective equipment
(PPE) to staff, as applicable.

► Determine policies to be
implemented and required
materials for on-the-job medical
screening.

► Immediately remove an employee from
the facility if an employee is suspected of
being infected and be prepared to section
off the employee’s workstation for at
least 24 hours and until decontamination
is complete.

► Ensure biohazard cleaners conducting
the decontamination process are
educated, trained, and have practiced the
process according to facility
recommendations.

► Encourage workers to stay
home if they are sick or have been
in contact with someone who is
sick per guidance from health
officials.

► Establish flexible
locations and working hours,
such as staggered shifts, if
feasible.

► Practice sensible social distancing
where possible. Where social distancing
is a challenge, consider limiting
duration of activities; making physical
changes, such as temporarily moving
workstations to create distance or
installing barriers; and/or
implementing other innovative
approaches

CHEMICA L SAFETY DURING COV-19

IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE WE HANDLE OUR SAFETY
CORRECTLY WHILE IN WAR WITH THIS PANDEMIC

CLEANING AND DISINFECTING

Use household cleaning sprays or detergent and
water to remove dirt, grease, oil, and dust as these
materials can form a protective coating against
chemicals designed to kill germs. The Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) offers guidance on creating a
disinfecting solution by mixing 4 teaspoons of
household bleach in 1 quart of room temperature
water. Apply this solution with a clean cloth or
spray it onto frequently touched surfaces.

Frequently touched surfaces should
be cleaned and disinfected routinely
as a preventative measure against
illness from COVID-19.

EXAMPLES OF FREQUENTLY
TOUCHED SURFACES

-Door handles/knobs
-Light switches
-Keyboards
-Remote Controls
-Kitchen Appliance Buttons
-Sinks
-Toilets (especially the handle)
-Tables
-Hard-backed Chairs
-Phones (check with your phone
manufacturer for
recommendations on cleaning and
disinfecting)
-Mailbox door/handle

CLINICAL WASTE
AFTER USING

SALIVA TEST OR
OTHER SWAB TEST

performed as followed:

• Separation of clinical
waste from generated waste



• Labelling of clinical waste




• Disposal into proper
containers and bags

• Collection by licensed
contractors for disposal and
treatment at 12 incineration

facilities nationwide

KEEP YOURSELF

HEALTHY

Wear your mask when you are
indoors.

Wash your hands with soap
and water for 20 seconds.

If you feel sick, go to the
clinic

do not touch any surface
while outdoors

Keep 6 feet away from other
people

The Benefits of
Washing Hands

Hand washing is very beneficial for
our body because it can prevent the

disease from attacking our body.

Prevent various diseases
that will threaten our health.

Kill germs that can
transmit disease to us.

Washing our hands with soap
and running water can
prevent us from germs.

Hand washing can also
maintain the cleanliness of
the food we will eat.



Frequently Asked

Questions about

COVID-19
?
How can I help stop There are a number of ways
you can help stop the
the spread of COVID- spread of COVID-19. These

19? include regularly cleaning


and disinfecting frequently

used surfaces with

antimicrobials, practicing

social distancing, and

washing your hands

regularly and the right way

with soap and water.

What are some The Center for Biocide
products that Chemistries has
can help to keep
developed a list of more
you safe? than 400 products that

are approved by the U.S.

Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA)

for helping to kill
viruses like COVID-19.

How do you There is a difference
disinfect between cleaning and
disinfecting. To disinfect
surfaces for the the frequently used
coronavirus surfaces of your home,
disease? you should first clean

the surfaces to remove

dirt and impurities.
Cleaning the surfaces
does not kill germs. The
next step after cleaning
is to disinfect by using
chemicals to kill germs
on surfaces. After you
clean the surface, you
should disinfect it by
using antimicrobials
directly on the surface
of the items you cleaned.

What should I Check the label of the
look for in product to see that it is
disinfectant
products? an EPA-registered

product and follow the
instructions for using

the product.