Approximately 70-75 percent of the custodial team at Provo City School District is comprised of students, so when schools closed in the spring, that left Jeff Hawkins and his team with a massive staffing shortage. With all hands on deck, staff from other departments pitched in to learn the (OS1) System and clean schools.
With so much of the current conversation focused around disinfection, Jeff talks about how the (OS1) System has prepared them for executing cleaning during a pandemic situation, so his team has the training, tools and program to keep students, teachers and staff safe.
https://managemen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Copy-of-Copy-of-Cleaning-Conversations.jpg500500Andi Curryhttps://managemen.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MMLogoRev800.pngAndi Curry2020-07-29 14:20:402020-07-29 14:22:27Cleaning Conversations: Jeff Hawkins, Provo City School District
With the topic of reopening schools leading many conversations right now, we’ve had a lot of questions about how teachers and administrators can work with custodial teams to make sure classrooms and common areas to limit the potential for COVID to spread on hard surfaces.*
Tips for helping teachers keep classrooms clean and safe.
Whether you work in a school or know a student who will be returning to the classroom this fall, these steps can help teachers keep classrooms clean and safe:
Clean, then disinfect. Kids make messes. And with calls for students to eat lunch in the classroom, those messes will only increase. It’s important to know that in order for a disinfectant to work, you must first clean the surface to remove any foreign substances or barriers and then apply the disinfectant.
Focus on touch points. Little hands are constantly touching, but what are some of the most often touched surfaces within your classroom? Faucet handles, chair backs, keyboards, door handles and desks are all items that should be disinfected throughout the day to limit the opportunity for virus spread.
Follow label instructions. Just like teachers need time after a long day, disinfectants also need time to sit and dwell in order to work effectively. How much time is indicated on the back of the bottle and can range between 2 to 10 minutes.
Launder cleaning cloths regularly. Disposable wipes are hard to find right now, so a lot of teachers will be using donated disinfectant sprays or spray from the custodial team. If using your own cleaning cloths, make sure to use a fresh cloth each day to avoid cross contamination.
Safely store cleaning chemicals. Make sure curious hands don’t find cleaning chemicals and be sure to lock all disinfectant supplies in a secure area.
Use bleach in a pinch. With wipes and ready-to-use disinfectants in short supply, the CDC recommends using a diluted bleach solution to disinfect appropriate hard surfaces. To make a solution, mix 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of room temperature water OR 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of room temperature water.
Clear desks and tables nightly. Stack books, papers and supplies on desks to keep tables and other surfaces clear for custodial teams to disinfect in the evenings. A lot of custodial teams will be working with limited resources, so every little bit helps.
* As the CDC notes, hard surface transmission is not thought to be the primary way the virus spreads, but recommends several cleaning and disinfection protocols to maintain healthy environments. These tips are designed to supplement regular cleanings performed by custodial teams in a school. Clean schools are critical for learning both now and once the pandemic is over.
(OS1) Trainers are a critical piece to creating and implementing a successful (OS1) System. Beyond training their teams, they are also committed to their own continuing education. Trainers are required to complete Train the Trainer class and must pass an exam with a score of 80 percent or higher to earn their designation as a (OS1) Trainer Certificate Holder.
We’ll profile several of our skilled trainers over the coming year with the hopes that by sharing their insights and best practices, everyone learns and improves their training skills.
Joshua Sego is awarded the 2019 Trainer of the Year award by Simon Institute.
Name: Joshua Sego
Title: Training and Staffing Coordinator
Facility: Michigan State University
What do you enjoy about what you do? I enjoy helping others be successful.
Is there anything that you think a lot of custodial trainers miss when educating workers?
Letting people know the “why” of things. I feel that when people know why they need to follow a process, or do something a specific way, people are more likely to follow that process, than if they are just doing what they are told.
What is one thing you’ve found to be most effective when training your team?
Real world examples. MSU is a big enough operation that we can give examples of how we have screwed things up and how doing things the way we train people avoids making those mistakes again.
Do you have any tips for getting to know your audience?
Being willing to share part of yourself I think helps people and lets them feel comfortable sharing part of themselves. Not some list of accomplishments but little things. My family and passions end up in a lot of my training material as examples and stories. This, in turn, makes me more of a person and helps others to relax and share as well. In the end, I get more participation out of a group this way.
Any tips or resources you’d recommend other trainers use to improve their craft?
Ask questions. I will make a statement and ask, “What does that mean?” Then I wait until someone answers. As you continue to do this, it encourages more of your audience to engage—or at least pay attention in case they are asked a question.
Any memorable/funny stories you’d like to share?
When I first became a trainer, I trained filter maintenance on the vacuums. I would let people know that on the microfilter the white lining was the actual filter so if it gets ripped, they needed to replace the filter. The brown covering around it was there to protect the lining. After 6 months of training this, one of my trainees pointed out to me the microfilter was green, not brown. I am color blind and could not see the difference. Shortly thereafter, I also found out that the lid on the vacuum was purple, not blue.
Anything else?
It is easy to think the worst in people. Our approach to people at MSU is, what do we need to do to help this person so they can be successful. Often, as we begin interacting with people especially in a retraining situation, they are defensive and sometimes verbally combative. Once they realize that we are really there to help them, their attitude changes. It is these moments that make our job so fulfilling.
