BusyBus Covid-19 and Virus Spreading Prevention Procedure
This document has been compiled by BusyBus as a working document and transparent reference point for customers, staff, management, and authorities to disclose and demonstrate awareness, procedure, principles and action. It contains guidelines on how BusyBus cleans, prepares and maintains its working and public environment including its minibuses safely in the context of COVID-19, and how to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
BusyBus recognises their responsibility to ensure that their staff, passengers and vehicles comply with health and safety legislation and maximise the safety of clients and staff in relation to Covid-19.
Following the Covid-19 pandemic BusyBus wholly adopts a public health responsibility to ensure their vehicles are clean, not only to the eye, but also that any potential virus, even where specific legislation and procedure does not exist.
All BusyBus staff are trained (and re-trained when emerging or evolving information determines) and they are provided with the right knowledge and equipment to carry out their duties effectively.
We feel it vitally important to have a strict cleaning protocol in place and that this is transparent.
Background to COVID-19
COVID-19 is a disease which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which can be passed via respiratory secretions (i.e. saliva) and faeces, and which can successfully live for up to 2 to 3 days on certain surfaces. COVID-19 is an “enveloped” virus, meaning that it is surrounded by a protective layer of fats and proteins.
COVID-19 can be transferred via hands from one surface to another. By touching a surface which has traces of COVID-19 on it, and then touching your face or eyes, you may become infected with COVID-19.
Soap and hand sanitiser are effective at denaturing the fats and proteins surrounding the virus, and therefore good ways to kill the virus.
COVID-19 can live on some common household surfaces for up to 3 days. Information and knowledge is evolving all the time. Currently it is thought that the virus can live for up to:
- 2-3 hours in the air
- Up to 4 hours on copper
- Up to 24 hours on cardboard, glass and metal.
- Up to 2 or 3 days on plastic and stainless steel.
Therefore, these surfaces need to be disinfected before they are safe to touch. All surfaces which are touched frequently, such as door handles, step aids, seat backs, seat belts, air blowers and switches should be regularly disinfected.
Evolving Government guidelines are followed by BusyBus in reference to protective clothing for Staff and driver guides have been trained in when and how to wear disposable gloves, aprons and masks and when and how to wash their hands and use hand sanitiser.
It is recognised there is a potential risk when cleaning to accidentally transport the virus from one surface or area to another, for instance via a cleaning cloth. To minimises this BusyBus has created a plan and check-sheet ticking each procedure in an “as-you-go” process and providing a documented and stored signature.
Driver & Staff COVID-19 Testing
BusyBus Drivers (and all staff) are tested using the latest Government-issue Rapid Lateral Flow (RLF) Tests twice a week; on Mondays and Thursdays. A further pre-journey test can be requested under certain hire conditions like a mini-break, team sport event or where an external risk assessment demands. Covid Test results will be carried by the driver at all times and will be shown on demand.
Pre-Clean Risk Assessment
Start of a journey
Before each journey drivers should follow these steps:
- Risk Assessment (See Below)
- Removal of waste
- Deep cleaning process to remove any residual dirt on surfaces etc
- Enhanced disinfection: removes the unseen virus and leaves the space safe
Pre-Clean Risk Assessment
Identify potential risks and take active steps to mitigate those risks.
- Look: for the points of transmission for Covid-19, i.e. the touch points.
- Decide: the likelihood of transmission via that touch point.
- Evaluate: whether your current regime is sufficient or whether you need to more and
whether it is ‘reasonably practicable’
- Record: your findings and draw up a simple list of guidance points.
- Review: Consult with managements and use common sense and reliable guidance to evolve the process.
Guidelines for Cleaning
The following steps will minimise the risk to staff, and ensuring the vehicle is safe for new passengers:
- Carry out a Risk Assessment.
- Ask previous passengers to remove their own property and waste at the end of the journey and to double-check.
- Provide the correct protective clothing and cleaning products to staff who will then:
- Ensure the vehicle is ventilated whilst cleaning. If it is safe to do so, open all windows, roof vent and doors. This will ensure that there is no air borne virus inside.
- Understand the clean level required and have the appropriate equipment.
- Wear the appropriate protective clothing (gloves, apron and mask).
- Prepare the area to be cleaned (reducing the load) – remove waste, remove any TravSafe Packs (whether opened or not).
e: Always use gloves to remove dirty items carefully and place directly into appropriate waste bags.
f: Seats and all exposed surfaces should be sprayed with disinfectant.
g: Remove gloves and dispose of them properly.
h: Wash hands.
i: Apply clean gloves if further surface contact is needed within the vehicle.
- Disposal of waste: waste of any kind should be placed in a plastic bag, tied and removed from the vehicle and disposed of in an external bin. Hazardous waste should be disposed of according to government or council guidelines.
- General surface and floor cleaning should use general cleaning products – or hot soapy water.
- Disinfect using appropriate products and ensuring it is left on the surface for the required time to kill the virus: make sure the product will work on enveloped viruses. Look for EN14675 or EN14476 and follow manufacturers guidelines, some products can be misted onto the soft seating areas.
- Wash hands fully after the removal of protective clothing. Hand sanitiser can be used if hot running water is not available.
Guidance for Drivers
- Keep contact with passengers to a minimum, adhering to current social distancing guidelines.
- Where contact is inevitable (e.g. if checking-in and boarding) drivers should wear protective PPE including their face shield, mask and gloves and maintain a safe social distance.
- Avoid touching passenger tickets or documents.
- Use common sense to check for signs of illness (coughing, “hot” faces, blurry eyes).
- Use the non-contact thermometer to check all passengers. Above 38 degrees is a sign of infection).
- Use the vehicle hand sanitiser station regularly.
- Ensure that passengers have all relevant information that they need ahead of their arrival including:
- Helpful numbers and contacts;
- Guidance in case of COVID-19 symptoms;
- Social distancing rules;
- Journey awareness and rules & responsibilities imposed;
- Manage expectations!
- Make sure that passengers have access to appropriate guidance in the event that they develop COVID-19 symptoms.
- All vehicles should have an adequate supply of cleaning materials, including virucidal disinfectant, tissues, hand wash and/or sanitiser and cloths, disposable gloves and TravSafe Packs.
- Guests should be able and encouraged to maintain the cleanliness of their seating area during their journey.
What to do if you or a staff member develops COVID-19 symptoms
- If you, or a staff-member, display symptoms of Coronavirus or live in a household where someone else has symptoms, that person must not enter come to work, enter the office or vehicles.
COVID-19 Government guidance for the public states: “the most common symptoms of coronavirus are recent onset of a continuous cough or high temperature or a loss of, or change in,
normal sense of taste or smell”. If you or your staff have these symptoms then let those who need to know know about it and stay at home for 7 days, or 14 days if living with someone who has the symptoms.
There is no need to call NHS 111 to go into self-isolation. If symptoms worsen during self-isolation, or are no better after 7 days contact NHS 111 online, or if there is no internet, call NHS 111.
- In order for you or a staff member to return to work, you will need to carry out a return to
work assessment that includes undertaking a COVID-19 test and to ensure the individual’s recovery is clear and they are able to return to work. You will need to find out whether staff have any pre-existing conditions or are living with people who are at risk or are vulnerable. All communications with staff should be undertaken electronically. Support should be offered to all staff suffering from mental health problems and be advised to contact mind.org.uk or anxietyuk.org.uk.
- If you, a driver or a member of staff develop symptoms at work they must be sent home and follow Government “stay at home” guidance. If there is an emergency dial 999. Disinfect any touch points that may have been infected by a contaminated person.
What to do if a passenger develops or arrives with COVID-19 symptoms
- If a passenger arrives for boarding with symptoms of COVID-19 or their temperature is above 38 degrees they should be denied boarding and quickly social distanced more than 2 meters away from all other people and the driver. They should be advised to return home (where possible) and/or self-isolate in accordance with current Government guidance. They should be reassured and advised to contact the head office to discuss their future participation options.
- If a passenger develops acute breathing difficulties call 999.
- If a passenger develops symptoms during the journey, they must declare it when disembarking.
- It is understood that if anyone using BusyBus contracts the virus they will immediately inform them. Steps that should be immediately taken on hearing of an infection:
- The applicable vehicle should be locked-down at base and deep cleaned as soon as possible to the above procedure. The vehicle must then be isolated (quarantined) for a minimum of 48 hours before undergoing a second deep clean. It can them be returned to service having a 3rd deep clean by the duty driver pre-journey.
BusyBus recognises the difference between cleaning and disinfecting. Cleaning is the act of removing dirt and other visible signs of surface fouling, such as grease marks or stains. Disinfecting is when you use specific chemicals to kill viruses or germs (for example when you spray an area with a bleach solution, such as a door handle or seatbelt clip). It is essential to clean first, and then disinfect.
- A virucidal disinfectant is any physical or chemical agent that deactivates or destroys viruses and is the method BusyBus uses to clean all hard surfaces and high touch points (light switches and door handles). It is compatiability procured, used within instructions and left on surfaces for the appropriate dwell time. Diluted product is the best for frequent cleaning and for hard surfaces and concentrate is used on seating and soft material areas of the vehicle.
- EN14476:2013+A2:2019 are products that have been tested on and found to be effective on SARS-CoV-2.
- Sodium hypochlorite is a solid white powder, but is more commonly used dissolved in water. Solutions of sodium hypochlorite are commonly referred to as bleach, although household bleach also contains small amounts of several other compounds, including sodium hydroxide and calcium hypochlorite.
- 70% Ethanol (Anhydrous Alcohol) is an effective cleaning agent that kills microbes, denatures proteins, and dissolves lipids. Ethanol is also known as ethyl alcohol, alcoholanhydrous, denatured alcohol.
- Bleach is highly effective in combating most of the pathogens that cause diseases with 99.9% germ kill. The latest advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) is to use diluted Sodium Hypochlorite (bleach) at 0.5% as the recommended solution for disinfection of frequently touched surfaces.
- Good disinfection procedures (e.g. using sodium hypochlorite @5000ppm/0.5% or 70% ethanol-based cleaners) are expected to be effective against all enveloped viruses and for inactivating SARS-CoV-2.
BusyBus procedure in cleaning different surfaces
According to National Institutes of Health (NIH) studies, Coronavirus can live for up to 2-3 days on plastic and stainless steel surfaces. Since these materials make up many of the things which we regularly touch in a minibus BusyBus adopts the World Health Organisation (WHO) advice in using diluted Sodium Hypochlorite (bleach) at 0.5%
As further studies in how the virus transmits across surfaces are being conducted every day, BusyBus keeps up to date and follows the guidance. Resources consulted are the Centres for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the WHO.
This guidance has been developed in partnership by the Professional Association of Self-Caterers, and the Wales Tourism Alliance. It is supported by the Tourism Alliance and the Scottish Tourism Alliance. This content is based on guidance from the HSE (Health and Safety Executive), WHO (World Health Organisation), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), and Centres for Disease Control (CDC), NIH (National Institutes of Health), NHS (National Health Service). These agencies do not endorse this content. This is guidance only, and BusyBus makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability with respect to this content provided for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]