Norovirus or commonly known as ‘stomach bug’ is common in the US between the months of September and May (generally cold seasons). Although there is no specific medicine or therapy to treat norovirus, there are things you can do to limit dehydration. Norovirus causes close to a thousand deaths in the United States yearly. Also norovirus principally spreads through person to person contact, there is an overwhelming body of work, which points to environmental contamination as being the second leader of the spread of norovirus. As such, it is important to give attention to best practice to clean the environment after somebody with norovirus vomits or openly defecates. Some of the symptoms of norovirus include diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain and feeling of tiredness. It is very likely that somebody experiencing the stomach bug may throw up in a public space or may not be able to control their bowels unannounced. This means that the cleaning provider within that space must be ready to clean in order to prevent others from getting sick. The purpose of this article is to develop an easy spill control plan which can be utilized when somebody with norovirus vomits or defecate.
A Spill Control Plan is one of the best systems to use to control for the spreading of norovirus in both a closed or opened space. This is especially true at camps, daycares and restaurants. An effective spill control plan will have the following; a personal protective gear (gloves, masks), spill pads, a disinfectant designed to kill norovirus and disposable towels. Note that the more absorbable the spill pads are, the better to easily absorb the vomit. A step by step spill control plan is explained below:
Make sure no one is within 25 feet of the incident except cleaning workers.
Cleaning workers must wear personal protective gear to avoid being exposed to norovirus;
Use a spill pad to cover the vomit or fecal mater. Spill pads are not the same when it comes to absorbency—the more absorbent the spill pad is, the less unpleasant the task is for the worker.
Use a disinfectant with a norovirus kill claim to soak the pad before using the pad to clean up the vomit. The area should be wiped down two additional times using the disinfectant and disposable towels. All items and towels should be placed in a disposable bag as they are used.
Put all cleaning tools in a disposable trash bag, close the bag securely with a twist tie and place in an outside dumpster.
Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water.
If this happens during the absence of your cleaning worker then a staff member should follow these steps to clean the spill.
