Maintenance Services During COVID-19
Forest Grove School District Facilities Support
Forest Grove School District (FGSD) is committed to providing a safe working environment for our students and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to following all protocols and guidelines as recommended by the CDC, Ready Schools Safe Learners and the OSHA temporary rules requirements. The following are general guidelines and protocols FGSD has implemented to ensure safe facilities during these times:
- Masks or face coverings are mandatory in all FGSD buildings unless working in their own office or space with no other persons present. Face coverings will be provided by the District. Employees and students can wear their own masks if they choose.
- Social distancing of at least six feet must be kept to the maximum extent possible.
- All staff and students are encouraged to practice good hygiene behavior to limit the spread of germs.
- All staff and students are encouraged to wash hands and/or apply hand sanitizer regularly, when entering the building, before and after eating, returning from break or recess, while using shared equipment and when transitioning between cohorts or groups of students.
Building Signage
All FGSD buildings have the following signage posted at the entrances and/or throughout the buildings.
Enhanced Disinfecting Cleaning
All frequently touched surfaces will be cleaned, sanitized and disinfected multiple times a day using CDC approved disinfectant supplies. This includes, but not limited to, door handles, door edges, sink handles, countertops, bottle fill fountains, towel dispensers and other highly trafficked surfaces.
Classrooms -
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- Custodial will complete nightly classroom touchpoint disinfection protocols in occupied classrooms (Classroom Touchpoint PDF).
- Classroom staff will be provided with a spray bottle of Ecolab - Peroxide Multi Surface Cleaner and Disinfectant along with paper towels and disposable gloves to disinfect classroom space between daily cohorts and/or shared equipment.
- Recommend that staff remove all soft porous surfaces from the classroom (furniture or equipment that can not be cleaned regularly).
- Recommend that excess furniture and equipment be removed from the classroom to create additional air flow and student transition space.
- CDC - six steps for cleaning and Disinfecting your school or Six steps - summary.
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- Once the district transitions to Hybrid or in person instruction, buildings will be fogged on Wednesdays and Friday/Saturdays between cohorts.
- Each building lead custodian has been issued an electrostatic sprayer for fogging.
- During Hybrid, health rooms and isolation rooms will be fogged nightly, and in the event of a COVID case in the District, by the trained custodial staff.
- High School Athletics staff have been issued hand held electrostatic sprayers for use in PE areas, weight rooms and between cohorts daily by the coach or teacher. All users must be trained prior to use - Online training.
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- If the area needs to be re-occupied within 24 hours after a report of an exposure, the COVID-19 Unoccupied Contaminated Area Disinfection Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) will be implemented
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- This SOP focuses on custodial employee safety
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- Additional PPE
- Containment protocols
- Focus on all surface disinfection with the EPA approved disinfectants
- Fogg with the electrostatic sprayer
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- This SOP focuses on custodial employee safety
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- If the area can be secured for 24 hours, the space then can be cleaned using a combination of both routine and enhanced protocols using the EPA approved disinfectants.
- If more than seven days has elapsed since the person who is sick has visited or used the facility, additional cleaning and disinfection is not necessary according to the CDC guidelines.
- If the area needs to be re-occupied within 24 hours after a report of an exposure, the COVID-19 Unoccupied Contaminated Area Disinfection Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) will be implemented
Personal Protective Equipment Provided
- Fabric face coverings for all staff and students
- Disposable face coverings for all staff and students
- Hand sanitizer at all entrances, hallway intersections, classrooms without sinks
- Hand soap dispensers at all sinks
- Thermometers will be available in the health room and isolation rooms
- Plexiglass or shields have been provided to the buildings to be utilized at secretarial desks and for specialists where they have multiple points of contact in a day
- Gloves, KN95 masks, gowns, shields and other PPE will be made available when the job requires it as outlined in the Ready Schools Safe Learners guidance and the District Blueprint plans
Drinking fountains
HVAC Systems
FGSD will optimize the amount of outside air circulated through its existing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system(s), to the extent the system can do so when operating as designed, whenever there are employees in the workplace and the outdoor air quality index remains at either “good” or “moderate” levels. All air filters are maintained and replaced as necessary to ensure the proper function of the ventilation system and all intake ports that provide outside air to the HVAC system are cleaned, maintained, and cleared of any debris that may affect the function and performance of the ventilation system.
FGSD recommends staff to open windows and doors where possible before, during and after class to increase ventilation. Fans can be used only if a door or window is open. Exterior doors should remain closed for student safety and Interior Doors to be closed at the end of the day for fire safety.
Playgrounds
Playgrounds and buildings will remain closed for general community use for the time being to ensure safety protocols can be maintained.
FGSD will follow CDC and Ready Schools Safe Learners guidance. Outdoor playground structures require normal routine cleaning and do not require disinfection. Shared equipment (balls, jump ropes, etc.) will be cleaned and disinfected daily in accordance with CDC guidance by the building custodian.
Students must wash hands or apply hand sanitizer before and after attending recess.
Building Tracing
Contractors or Visitors
All contractors and visitors must follow the District’s guidelines and practices while on district grounds. Larger contractors must also provide the District with their COVID protocols to ensure all the CDC, Ready Schools Safe Learners and OSHA requirements are being met.
Additional Custodial and Maintenance Measures
Oregon COVID-19 Workplace Temporary Emergency Rule - OAR 437-001-0744
The Oregon OSHA Temporary Emergency Rule addressing COVID 19 was officially adopted on November 6th and is effective November 16th through May 4th, 2021. This rule primarily follows the Oregon Ready Schools Safe Learners Guidance around workplace safety. Other major items include the following:
- The hazard poster is required to be posted for staff. Saff have been provided access to this via the following methods.
- English: https://osha.oregon.gov/OSHAPubs/5504.pdf
- Spanish: https://osha.oregon.gov/OSHAPubs/5504s.pdf
- Saff have been provided access to this via the following methods.
- Superintendents communication on November 20, 2020
- Safety Newsletter on December 3, 2020
- District Website
- Exposure Risk assessment
- Infection Control Plan
- COVID Training for all staff - Completed at a building December 2020 staff meeting
All Maintenance and Custodial Staff Requirements -
Cleaning and disinfecting protocol:
- Masks wearing is mandatory inside the buildings and around other individuals.
- Custodians' daily focus is disinfecting frequently touched surfaces several times per day.
- Refilling the hand sanitizers and soap dispensers regularly.
- Cleaning restrooms three times a day and disinfecting houry (upon student return).
- Gloves to be worn at all times.
Maintenance:
- Masks wearing is mandatory inside the buildings and around other individuals.
- Hand sanitizer when entering each building.
- Employee tracing (document where, when and in what buildings) for reactionary cleaning protocols.
- Maintain 6 ft distance to others and maintain all other social protocols.
- Staff will be split to start early and stay late to avoid contact with students / staff.