Back to Campus: Cleaning Protocols

HCC employs Sodexo to thoroughly clean our campuses and facilities a minimum of once daily. Cleaning frequency will be higher in the following areas:

Student Services buildings
Childcare centers
Restrooms
High-touch surfaces such as door handles, elevator buttons, and light switches
Areas deemed priorities by campus/facility leadership

Sodexo uses the following disinfecting and sanitizing products:

ECOLAB A-456 II disinfectant cleaner
ECOLAB peroxide multi surface cleaner and disinfectant
Clorox bleach germicidal wipes
Fogmaster Jr. Foggers for high-traffic areas at all campuses and administrative locations (classrooms, childcare centers, auditoriums, reception areas, offices, etc.)

Please note: Sodexo employees will not enter locked offices/spaces.

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Equipment Cleaning Guidelines

Sodexo employees will clean computer monitors and keyboards at least once day and more frequently in high-traffic areas. However, they will NOT clean specialized equipment in the science lab areas, YCTC, etc. Campus staff members will clean these items, which may require specialized cleaning products and methods. Deans, faculty and lab managers will research and procure appropriate cleaning materials and establish cleaning standards for these items.

Air Handler Filters

Level 1: 24-Hour Room or Facility Quarantine 

This level is implemented for any HCC campus room or indoor area that the symptomatic person with a positive COVID-19 test had visited within the 7 days prior to the test. As per CDC guidelines, the following steps will be taken: 

All areas used by the person who is sick are to be closed off (only affected areas of the building need to be quarantined).
If possible, outside doors and windows should be opened to increase air circulation in the affected area.
The room should be quarantined for 24 hours if possible. 
If the room has been vacated from all student, faculty, staff and personal for a period of 24 hours or longer, this will be considered equivalent to a 24-hour quarantine period (for example: weekend vacancies).

Level 2: Detailed Cleaning and Disinfecting of Contaminated Area 

This level will be implemented when:

The 24-hour mandatory quarantine period has elapsed; or
The COVID-19 positive student, faculty, or staff member were not symptomatic when on campus within 7 days before the COVID test.

As per the CDC guidelines, the following steps will be taken: 

All areas used by the infected individual will be cleaned and disinfected as per CDC guidelines.
Items that should be disinfected include tables, tablets, touch screens, keyboards, remote controls, doorknobs, light switches, desks, etc. 
Areas that should be cleaned and disinfected include offices, classrooms, bathrooms and common areas where the infected person spent a prolonged period. 
If space needs to be vacuumed, a high-efficiency HEPA filter should be used when available. 
After the cleaning is complete, the classroom can be open for normal use.

Level 3: Daily Cleaning and Disinfecting

These are the daily cleaning protocols followed by the facility and operational staff. This level is implemented: 

As the daily/routine cleaning protocol,
If a COVID-19 positive individual had not been on campus within the past 7 days, or
After Level 1 and Level 2 protocols have been completed.

If the infected person has not been on campus within 7 days before a positive COVID-19 test, this is the only level of cleaning that is necessary. 

HCC Outdoor Areas

Outdoor areas, such as playgrounds in schools and parks, generally require normal routine cleaning, but do not require disinfection. Accordingly, Sodexo will not disinfect these areas. Do not spray disinfectant on outdoor playgrounds—it is not an efficient use of supplies and is not proven to reduce the risk of COVID-19 to the public. High-touch surfaces made of plastic or metal, such as grab bars and railings should be cleaned routinely. Cleaning and disinfection of wooden surfaces (play structures, benches, tables) or groundcovers (mulch, sand) are not recommended. Sidewalks and roads should not be disinfected. The spread of COVID-19 from these surfaces is very low and disinfection is not effective. 