UB preps for returning students with enhanced cleaning, disinfecting protocols

Keeping a college clean has never been easy. Now, it has never been more important.

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and keep the university as safe as possible, UB is charting a new course for the fall semester. This include highly effective ways to control spread of the virus, such as mandated face coverings and reducing density through remote learning.

But these plans also include less obvious components, such as enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols for the hundreds of buildings and shared spaces on UB’s three campuses.

“We’re not taking anything for granted,” says Joseph Raab, director of UB’s Environment, Health and Safety office. “All of our custodians have been trained in using cleaning products that are designed for use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. They’ll be doing their part to ensure our three campuses are as safe and clean as possible.”

UB’s custodians have always worked around the clock, in three shifts. That practice will continue this fall, with most deep-cleaning activities scheduled from late evening to early morning. This will reduce density on campus, which will help prevent spread of the virus and limit disruptions to academic programs.

High-traffic areas, like the Student Union, will be cleaned and disinfected multiple times daily. Custodians will spend additional time cleaning and disinfecting classrooms, libraries, restrooms, hallways and other common areas. They’ll also focus on commonly touched surfaces, such as doorknobs, light switches, elevator buttons, water fountains, hand rails and more.

To properly sanitize these areas, custodians are supplied with, and have been trained to use, disinfectant products certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use against the virus that causes COVID-19.

“We are only using disinfectant products proven effective at destroying the virus,” says Raab.

Despite these efforts, an area or surface is no longer considered disinfected once a person touches it. That’s why it’s incredibly important, Raab says, that members of the UB community clean their hands frequently, wear face coverings and adhere to physical distancing rules.

To make this easier, University Facilities has installed hand-sanitizing dispensers and/or wipes in high-traffic spaces and the university’s busiest classrooms. Also, common areas and shared spaces have been configured to create distance among students, faculty and staff.

UB is also encouraging all units to continue to replace in-person meetings with phone or video conferences, which will further help reduce density on campus.

In accordance with UB’s social distancing guidelines, custodial teams have suspended the cleaning of personal office spaces. As such, UB employees should also place garbage and recycling cans outside of office doors, or bring trash and recyclables to a centrally located collection area.

UB has also implemented enhanced cleaning and disinfecting for its buses and shuttles.

For additional information or questions on cleaning and disinfecting protocols, members of the UB community can visit UB’s cleaning and disinfecting website or call University Facilities’ 24-hour customer service phone number at 716-645-2025.

More information is available on the CDC’s cleaning and disinfecting website.