Return to campus: Faculty and staff to disinfect individual work spaces

To limit the spread of COVID-19 on campus, caretaking has increased cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched surfaces in common areas and public spaces such as entrances, hallways, elevators, lobbies, stairs, classrooms and washrooms.

Caretaking had not previously cleaned individual work spaces and will continue to focus on common areas. It is up to faculty and staff to clean individual work spaces such as desks, lab benches, desktops, cabinets and lab or research equipment, as caretaking will not be cleaning these.

Caretaking will sanitize meeting and classroom spaces daily; however, between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. occupants will be responsible for cleaning and sanitizing these spaces between each use. It is recommended that individuals sanitize the space around them before each use.

How to clean and disinfect your work spaces

There are two key components to ensuring good sanitation of surfaces at your work station: cleaning and disinfecting. “Cleaning refers to the removal of visible soil, while disinfecting refers to using a chemical to kill germs on a surface,” says Michael Love, director, caretaking. “Disinfecting is only effective on clean surfaces.”

As faculty and staff return to work, we ask that you follow this cleaning and disinfecting process:

1. Clean the surface first with the approved disinfectant wipe by removing or wiping away any visible soiling.
2. Using a second disinfectant wipe, rub the surface(s) that you wish to disinfect. Ensure the disinfectant wipe is applied to the entire surface.
3. Allow the disinfected surface(s) to air dry following application, between one to five minutes depending on the product.   
4. Discard used wipe in a waste receptacle.

Equipment and surfaces vary in how often they need to be cleaned. As a general rule, the items below should be cleaned at least daily and between users when a space or equipment is shared (before disinfecting personal devices such as cellphones and iPads. Please confirm wipes are safe for screens as many bleach wipes can damage screens):

Register to receive disinfectant wipes to clean your work space

Disinfectant wipes for cleaning your work area are available by emailing Staff Wellness. The total supply of wipes will be tracked and distributed evenly to departments based on the number of personnel. To ensure enough wipes are available for the workplace, please do not take these wipes home with you. They are meant for the workplace only.

• Main campus distribution of disinfectant wipes is occurring at Math Sciences 278 (Staff Wellness Centre).
• Foothills Campus distribution of disinfectant wipes is occurring at HSC G355.

Please enter the name of your department when you sign up for an appointment. Windows of time have been spaced evenly for pickups.

What caretaking supports during COVID-19

Caretaking continues to clean washrooms and common areas like entrances, hallways, elevators, lobbies, stairs, and public spaces. They are also ready in case of a potential COVID-19 outbreak on campus.

“If there was a COVID-19 outbreak on campus, we have a team that is ready to clean and disinfect,” says Love. “Our team is well trained and has all the right equipment, including personal protective equipment. In addition, we have electrostatic sprayers. This sprayer gets to every nook and cranny to ensure  the virus is killed and there is no chance for cross-contamination.”

Have symptoms? Stay home

If you are showing any COVID-19 symptoms, please stay home. When you are on campus, remember to practise social distancing and ensure proper hand hygiene, which is the most important method of preventing disease transmission. Before using devices at your workstation, clean your hands with soap and water, or use an approved hand sanitizer.  

Learn more about COVID-19 Return to Campus protocols.

Questions? Contact Facilities by submitting an ARCHIBUS request, emailing myfacilities@ucalgary.ca or calling (403) 220-7555.

 Additional resources:

• UCalgary Worksite Safety Plan
• AHS Cleaning Document
• Workplace guidance document from Alberta Health (cleaning and disinfecting information can be found on page 13, including a description of the clean and disinfect two-step method)​​​​​​​

UCalgary resources on COVID-19

For the most up-to-date information about the University of Calgary's response to the spread of COVID-19, visit the UCalgary COVID-19 Response website.