COVID-19 Perceptions and Reality
Dear All,
Greetings… Below are presented facts some questions and some
basics. Actions to be taken, actions proposed, and how to act and walk back to
normal. I hope I am able to justify perceptions and reality.
We are experiencing the unseen today. Every possible is tried,
every means is explored but is it worth evaluated? As in industrial safety Consultant
& Trainer few people called me asking, can we do this can we do that, all
who questioned are not wrong, but the overall concept has taken a wrong turn.
We all have pressed the panic button, the result.
- - Anything that comes as a probable solution is a trial and error
accepted.
- - People don’t wait for evident proof but start trying themselves.
- - Fear buying, fear trying
What else can be named as true fact? Reason for such non-explored
fact is distancing from the basics. Let's understand the concept from very
basic.
1. Is lockdown necessary?
è
Yes. Lockdown is necessary.
è Ok we all were ordered lockdown but what we did in lockdown? ||
pause button.
è Post lockdown we forgot the basic of disaster management. A High-Powered
Committee (HPC) [Disaster Management Act, 2005 (DM ACT, 2005)] was it formed. I
am most certain it was. Quoting the same it states: From a response and
relief-centric approach to a proactive, and comprehensive mindset towards DM
covering all aspects from prevention, mitigation, preparedness to
rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery.
è Section 23, of DM Act everyone is aware for each state. Same to
be applied to smallest of business or establishment as well. Now this interlink
is difficult but below are some basic steps to be followed, to simplify have
listed them below.
Follow steps
a. Prevention à Action Lockdown.
b. Mitigation à Clinical, Preparation, Solutions (Administrative, Mechanical /
engineering)
c. Preparedness à Conditional Action Plan with Hazard Identification and Risk
Assessment (HIRA) basic.
d. Rehabilitation à Impact on People (physical, mental, financial, functionality) how
to re-start and what precautions to be taken with proper intimation. Discussion
of action plan.
e. Reconstruction à Based on Action Plan each step is identified what work is required
to be done by whom in how much time and with what resources, Minimum process and
optimization strategy.
f. Recovery à with new action plan in place what will be new set benchmark
how to optimize.
2. Mitigation how to? Sanitization
è Most of the organization went into panic buy. Authorities presenting
plan forgot the very basic of an emergency plan, that any action taken will
have an equal and opposite reaction, “Everyone remembers this statement” how it
become true is chemical sanitization, every industry, government authorities
starting applying sanitization and PPE and all possible solutions and has left
a hidden enemy again.
è Rewind and think again what went wrong and what will have a
future impact.
o Solution 1 Sanitization
§ Sanitization had two parts seen 1st personal & 2nd
mass
§
1st Personal
Sanitization means
·
Use of Hand Sanitizer it's helpful
Yes. Only till it last on hand one-time use only.
·
It's like Dr. is entering Operation
theater once hands are sanitized you are not supposed to touch any other surface
once done you have to again sanitize.
· The Result you would require, to do
it again and again. Now although guidelines state % of alcohol and which type
to be used it came in high demand.
·
Concern à
o Excessive use cannot be stopped
o The Concentration level cannot be controlled.
o A Large number of people organization came forward business opportunities
generated and captured.
o Major concern repeated use will have a health impact (skin impact),
Breathing impacts health hazards known as 1 and flammability 3. Below is MSDS ref. most common
for all proposed sanitizers.
 |
| MSDS |
·
Probable Solution
o Washing of hands but limit exposure of soap, chemical agent.
o Water consumption may increase so use mist nozzle spray for
industry only not for home. (in industry people numbers are going to be more
so) example below.
o
Mist spray tap…
 |
| Mist Spray |
o Ware gloves only if required.
o It’s better to disinfectant the surface where a person is going to
work, for which normal disinfectant to be applied, and wait for it to settle
till 15 min and start normal operation.
o Some surfaces cannot be sanitized? The reason if known can be thought for an
alternate solution.
o For every workstation or area, individuals have a responsibility to
keep it clean and hygienic. (isn’t this your regular work; this is how basic is
related)
o Personal hygiene: Follow the Namaste principle talk to people with proper distance
(ask people to do gargle by salt, turmeric in hot water before and after a meal.)
Wash hands before and after a meal and don’t wipe with your clothes that you are
wearing if your hands are wet allow them to dry on their own for 2-3 min don’t touch
anything. Nature has the ways it will dry. Wait to be patient.
§
2nd Mass Sanitization
means
·
Sanitization of area, all
individuals entering the facility, rather than panic buy think what can be done?
·
Mostly misunderstood the concept of the disinfectant
tunnel, spraying of chemicals over the surface, and so on.
·
Mass spraying of chemicals leaves a lot of smell in area fumes making it a risky/flammable atmosphere even.
·
Exposure to such fumes is a
health concern. Now re-think which surface is going to come in contact with
Person or individual, he can disinfect the surface he is going to touch personally
why spray the entire facility I personally don’t understand the whole concept.
·
Concern à
o There are a lot of people who are entering the facility all are required
to be sanitized.
o People are going to touch the surface and put their hands here and
there, the infection will be present that can affect others.
o Some processes cannot be done with a single person, social
distancing cannot be practiced.
o Handling a large number of workforces is a crucial concern.
o Disinfection of entire are, or most contact surfaces is a
concern.
·
Probable Solution
o Mass sanitization first is not a priority, only the contact
surface where human is going to touch is required to be sanitized.
o There are two ways of handling Mass sanitization.
§ 1. Over gowning (steam sanitization) – Common practice in Pharma
§ 2. Portable
steam sanitization of contact surfaces. (now these types of steamers you
must have seen in cloth shops, your home for curtain, suits, or may be salons.)
 |
| Steamer |
o 1. Over gowning, this is a best practice adopted in pharma long
back with a proven fact that contaminations are on the surface (for reference you can
search: Aseptic Gowning for the Cleanroom) how to apply in general.
o These gowning are steam sterilized / work clothes can also be
steam-sterilized (ref. you can see clothes sterilizer simple device place your
clothes inside hanging them steam sterilizes it along with UV also most prevalent)
§ Step 1 - Wash your hands – now wear glove-first or pick up your
over gown or office/work clothes.
§ Step 2 - If required to remove home cloths first contain them
again wash hand before toughing work cloths.
§ Step 3 – Always wear clothes from top to bottom like cap first
cover your hairs for that it the only open surface with maximum contamination accumulation
people wear glove touch hair and its use is a wasted. If required wash hands
again or use sanitizer.
§ Step 4 - Top cover and paints / lower.
§ Step 5 - Shoe cover and again make sure finally you wash your
hands as you are work-ready.
§ Here you have seen that we washed our hands 2-3 times, reason
been every time you come in contact with infected or contaminated surface hand
wash is required. This can be custom like slide over long show cover can
eliminate contact with shoes, if someone is placed to put a cap on your head the first
contact of hair eliminated so only one wash. Simple steps for easy operation
can be followed.
o 2nd Portable steam sanitization of the contact surface,
this is the most economical means of sanitizing a surface, there are many benefits,
§ Plain water steam will not impact any individual health, instead, it benefits. (similar to what we use in salons/ at home we take a steam in cold
most simple means)
§ Plain steam used on surface for 2 -3 min makes it clean enough
to be touched only after it achieves normal temperature with will not take more
than 3-5 min.
§ Use of surface disinfectant is also a probable solution, but
make sure a person is wearing gloves for exposure to disinfectants to be avoided
as well. (every chemical has its settling time give time to disinfectant to
settle only touch the surface, after is completely dried, say 1-2 min.)
§ Use – let's assume a surface is going to be touched by many
people (canteen table, panel box, door handle & surface, etc.) all these surfaces
are required to be handled by one person to avoid repeated sanitization (like
canteen / one person should only touch plate till required is filled, tables
to be wiped with surface disinfectant)
§ Door can have auto opening-closing / kick plates open door with
your legs. (for more information see the use of kick plate for door opening) This
can be done for regular use doors which is not required to be kept locked door
system to change to normally open with a door closer.
Q&A
è Have tried to explain and keep it simple still our online
session on the practical application you can
ask for Contact us at hse@hse-rm.com or M:
+91+9824663306
# Covid19, Prevention, Perceptions, and Reality.
