Coronavirus & COVID-19 Information for Canada

At your independently owned and operated Vanguard Cleaning Systems® Regional office in Canada, protecting the health and safety of Canadian businesses, and the health and safety of employees who work at a Canadian business is a priority. There are many questions regarding the Coronavirus (responsible for the COVID-19 disease). With this in mind, we are providing the following FAQ to help you understand some basic information regarding the virus, associated cleaning approaches, and important communications with us.

Q:How long can the Coronavirus remain alive on a surface?
A:This can vary depending on the surface and the room temperature, but from several hours up to 3 days.¹

Q: What process can be used to disinfect for the Coronavirus?
A: For standard cleaning, the CDC suggests to “perform routine environmental cleaning”.² Should you be interested in additional cleaning activities, please contact your local Area Franchise office.

Q: What products are considered effective in disinfecting for the Coronavirus?
A: Health Canada has provided a list of products registered for use against Coronavirus³, many of which are common commercial products.

Q: How long should solution be applied in order to render the Coronavirus inactive?
A: Product compositions and instructions vary, but should prove effective when using products registered with Health Canada.⁴

Q: In the event of an exposure to Coronavirus in your office, what information should be communicated to your Vanguard® Regional office?
A: If your facility has experienced an exposure or suspected exposure to the Coronavirus, please immediately alert us, in order to let your Vanguard® Franchised Janitorial Business know how to respond.

Q: In Canada what can your facility do to help protect people on your premises?
A: The following are a few ways to help protect people:

1. Provide information and/or place prominently visible posters with information on how to keep the workplace/school/home safe. Below is a link from The Public Health Agency of Canada with some examples.⁵
2. Provide tissues and no-touch disposal receptacles for use by employees.
3. Instruct employees to clean their hands often with a 60-95% alcohol-based sanitizer, or wash their hands for at least 20 seconds.
4. Provide soap and water and alcohol-based hand rubs in the workplace. Ensure that adequate supplies are maintained. Place hand rubs in multiple locations or in conference rooms to encourage hand hygiene.

We hope you find this information helpful. If you would like additional information about available services, please contact your local Vanguard Cleaning Systems® area franchise office.

Sources

1. https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMc2004973
2. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html
3. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/disinfectants/covid-19/list.html
4. https://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/article/S0195-6701(20)30046-3/fulltext#sec5
5. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/preventing-covid-19-workplace-employers-employees-essential-service-workers.html

About the Vanguard Cleaning Systems® Brand
Founded in 1984, the Vanguard Cleaning Systems® organization is built upon over 2,500 independently owned and operated franchised commercial cleaning businesses, which are licensed and supported by an Area Franchise network of more than 50 independent regional offices throughout North America. Vanguard® franchised commercial cleaning businesses service over 15,000 businesses, healthcare companies, educational facilities, and non-profit organizations.