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Dec
23

Tips for all facilities

General facilities

  • Work with your building engineer to ensure ventilation and/or air filtration are adjusted to the number of people in your space (21 cfm per person of fresh air in the space or a minimum of 5 air changes per hour).
  • If ventilation and air filtration are limited and can't be improved, work with a reputable UVGI vendor (contact a local HVAC company for assistance) to determine if that technology will work in your space.
  • Refer to King County's guidance on HVAC systems and HEPA air cleaners for information on selecting and maintaining air ventilation/filtration systems.
  • If you're using HEPA air cleaners in your facility, see our HEPA Air Cleaner guidance for more information on creating a plan to clean and change filters on a regular schedule, and to keep the units on at all times. (If noise and energy use are a concern, you can use the auto setting, but be sure to keep the units on.)
  • Create and maintain a no-smoking perimeter around doors and windows, and check that exhaust fans in the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry are on to prevent and remove air pollutants before they spread.
  • If you can't improve ventilation and air filtration, consider if outside air quality and site safety allow for opening doors and windows during certain times of the day. Even a slightly open window can bring in cleaner outdoor air. (Note: this does not apply during wildfire smoke events. Refer to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency air quality sensor map for air quality near you.)
  • To help control temperatures, run fans in the normal direction in winter to push warm air down. In summer, run fans in reverse to pull warm air up.

Restrooms and/or locker rooms

  • Leave bathroom fans running at all times when the building is occupied to remove moist, dirty air. Another option is to put occupancy sensors or timers in bathrooms or locker rooms so the exhaust fan runs for a certain amount of time after use.
  • Keep bathroom doors closed.
  • Ensure all toilets have lids. Post signs to encourage people to shut toilet lids before flushing. Studies have suggested that pathogens found in feces may become airborne when flushed.
  • Add a trap primer to your drain, which will drain water into the trap to prevent sewer gases, pathogens (like COVID-19), and odors escaping from sewer pipes.
  • Consult with your building engineer to ensure that air flow is not moving from the bathroom to the rest of the facility.

Sleeping/napping areas

  • Clean shared sleeping areas on a regular schedule.
  • If people sleep on floor mats, floors should be cleaned daily if possible.
  • If a facility is carpeted, use a HEPA vacuum cleaner to reduce the amount of particles (such as viruses and dust) that may re-enter the air while vacuuming.
  • Cleaning and disinfection protocols for sleeping areas can be found on the HUD, PHSKC (6 MB), and
    EPA     websites.

Kitchen and dining areas

  • Run kitchen exhaust fans as much as possible, particularly 2 hours prior to, during and 2 hours after kitchen is in use. Exhaust fans eliminate cooking fumes that contribute to poor air quality. They can also increase ventilation by pulling in outdoor air through doors, windows, and small cracks in the building.
  • Consider keeping kitchen exhaust hood/fans always on to help remove dirty air in the space.
  • Install screens on windows and backdoors near the kitchen. Leave windows and backdoors open when it's safe to do so and screens are installed.
  • If eating indoors, and the facility doesn't have an HVAC system, open doors and windows if possible, even if only a few inches.  
  • Place HEPA air cleaners or DIY box fans with filters where people are congregating and eating.  
  • Avoid placing fans and air cleaners in places that can blow air from one person onto another.
  • When community transmission levels are high or outbreaks are occurring that are associated with the facility, eat meals outdoors when feasible. Consider providing distance between each person in dining and snacking areas. Staggering mealtimes may help accommodate physical distancing.

Barriers

Given that each setting is unique, Public Health does not recommend the installation of barriers without first consulting an expert (such as a facilities manager, HVAC specialist, or industrial hygienist) who can assess airflow in the space to:

  • Avoid creating "air pockets" that cause virus particles to build up over time.
  • Determine the impacts and/or placement of barriers in the space.
  • Identify specific cases where they may be useful (e.g., front desk staff/client counter).
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