It’s ‘back to school’ season like never before. For most pupils up and down the country, this is the first time they have set foot in a school building for six months. Although a welcome return to normality, with COVID-19 still in general circulation, schools need to do their utmost to boost hygiene levels and keep germs at bay.

Encouraging handwashing from a young age is one of the most effective ways to prevent infection and improve health and wellbeing. That’s why we developed our award-winning Jangronauts range. Perfect for primary schools, pre-schools, and nurseries, the range features four handwashing heroes and fun messaging on a range of washroom dispenser units, helping children to learn the importance of hand hygiene in an engaging and interactive manner.

There is a choice of two soap dispensers available to loan at no cost[1], including the popular Jangronauts BK039 TFX. Touch-free, this dispenser automatically releases soap when hands are placed below it, further increasing hygiene levels.

The Jangronauts website also offers many free downloadable resources, including posters, handwashing certificates, colouring sheets, games, stickers, and more! We have also developed a teachers’ pack, which offers handwashing ideas to support the National Curriculum for EYFS, KS1, and KS2.

As well as promoting healthy handwashing habits, teachers and teaching assistants may also find themselves responsible for cleaning, particularly when it comes to surface hygiene. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, a quick wipe down alone simply won’t cut it. Surfaces, especially high touch points, need to be cleaned with a virucidal or disinfectant solution in order to eliminate germs. Chemicals in the classroom must be used carefully, however. Our training software, the Jangro Learning Management Solution (LMS), can help staff clean responsibly, providing support and guidance on how to do so effectively and safely.

For more information visit www.jangronauts.co.uk, www.jangrolms.net, or call 01204 795 955.

[1] Free to loan dispensers when soap refills are purchased. Subject to availability. T’s & C’s apply.

 

 

As lockdown restrictions continue to loosen, an increasing number of companies are getting back to business. However, before re-opening your doors to staff, customers, or visitors, you must ensure your facility is COVID secure. Put simply, this means taking all reasonably practicable measures to lower the risk of transmission. It’s worth remembering, however, that whilst COVID-19 is still in circulation, it’s simply not possible to eliminate the threat completely.

Putting in place infection control measures not only helps to minimise the risk of contracting coronavirus, but also instils customer confidence, at a time when many are wary about going anywhere outside of their homes.

But just how do you go about making your facility or establishment COVID-secure? There is so much to consider, that it can become confusing. Our advice is to undertake a risk assessment to identify areas where the possibility of transmission is high, and then follow the ‘Hierarchy of Controls’ system to lower risk:

1. Can you change or remove anything to eliminate the hazard? For example, offer table service in pubs, cafes and restaurants to remove potential crowding in the bar area.

2. Can you replace any activities with safer systems? For example, implement a reservation only policy to manage the number of people at your facility at a given time

4. Engineering Controls. Use equipment or other measures to ‘isolate’ people and prevent them from coming into contact with the hazard. Social distancing is one way of doing this, so employ signs, matting, and floor markers to help ensure effective spacing between people. You may also want to install Perspex screens at counters.
5. Administrative Controls. This is about changing the way people work or behave. Hygiene is critical: Offer plenty of opportunities for hand hygiene; and ensure surfaces, especially high touchpoints, are frequently wiped down with an appropriate virucidal/disinfectant solution, effective against coronavirus.
6. Personal protective clothes and equipment. Only after all other measures have been put in place, should PPE be considered. Masks and visors may be necessary to minimise the risk at your facility, whilst acting as a visual reminder that you take people’s health seriously.

For more information about Jangro, please visit www.jangro.net or call our friendly distributors on 01204 795 955.

The summer holidays are in full swing and teachers and pupils are taking a well-earned break after a tumultuous few months of education – both in school and at home.

However, all year groups are expected to attend school full-time in September, so, whilst most premises are empty, now is the perfect opportunity to get ready for their return. With COVID-19 still in circulation, preparation is key. Here are our recommendations to help minimise the risk of transmission once the autumn term begins.

Step 1: Although more frequent cleaning has become common practice over the past few months, a deep, intensive clean is essential prior to reopening, and should include all walls, surfaces, and equipment in the building.

Step 2: Review washroom facilities. Is everything in good working order? If not, now is the time to improve, fix, or replace any broken equipment. With hand hygiene a top priority, consider implementing a solution that provides a clear link between classroom learning and practical application. Our innovative Jangronauts range features four hand washing heroes and engaging messaging, designed to make using dispenser units fun, familiar and second-nature for younger children. What’s more, we offer a free-on-loan service, when soap cartridges are purchased^[1].

Step 3: Make sure it is possible for hand hygiene to be extended in the classroom too. There should be ample opportunity for staff and children to clean their hands. This may mean ensuring you have enough sanitiser dispensers for each class room or zone, and supply soap and paper towels if there is a basin present in these areas.

Step 4: Social distancing will become part of daily school life. Although it is widely accepted that young children find this difficult, placing floor markers can help them comply, especially now the guidance has been reduced from 2 metres to 1 metre+.

Step 5: Perform the final checks. Check all stock levels and order more supplies if you are running low on PPE, soap, paper towels, sanitising gel and wipes, or Jangro Virucidal Cleaner. These will be vital for the ongoing hygiene maintenance required once children return to school.

For more information about cleaning supplies for schools, please click here or call our friendly distributors on 01204 795 955.

[1] T’s & C’s apply

I have long celebrated the value that cleaning operatives bring to organisations – indeed I firmly believe that they are a vital cog in business success. The pandemic has further shone a light on their significance, and the contribution they make to society, as levels of cleanliness and hygiene have continued to be an important infection prevention measure.

However, as the country takes its first tentative steps to get moving again, a ‘new normal’ is emerging. Whilst operatives are still performing their usual tasks (and more), cleaning duties will no longer be exclusively theirs. That is to say, non-domestic staff will now need to pay attention to ‘touch point’ hygiene, as the need for more frequent cleaning increases.

Risk assessments in schools, for example, have deemed this an essential control measure, meaning that teachers will be constantly cleaning areas throughout the day – tasks that are usually reserved for cleaning staff.

But cleaning is not just a case of picking up a sponge or a cloth and giving surfaces a quick wipe down. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (and, indeed, other viruses and germs), surfaces must be hygienically cleaned. To achieve this, and ensure personal health and safety, staff must follow best practice.

Cleaning operatives are well-trained in this, but most non-domestic workers are not. Our innovative training platform, the Jangro Learning Management Solution (LMS), is perfect for those that have been thrown in the deep end with little knowledge or training on how to clean effectively.

The Jangro LMS offers a variety of courses, including an introduction to cleaning, and colour coding and infection control – critical knowledge to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Optimised for all devices, it enables users to learn remotely at times that suit them, and dip in and out of sessions as required.

It also offers a versatile system to ‘train on the go’ with its Task Cards. These are brief, highly visual documents, which contain step-by-step instructions for product usage and safety information.

What’s more, users can also sign in with their social media log-ins, making it even quicker and easier for them to access best practice and advice. For more information about Jangro LMS, please visit www.jangrolms.net