How will Veolia propose to provide cleaning services?
Veolia has an internal reference guide that will be used in the event of an emergency response related to COVID-19. This guide outlines the requirements for our personnel's health and safety and decontamination procedures that follow CDC guidelines and requirements. Each of the cleaning events is unique and a project specific plan will be modified to fit the unique emergency response.
OSHA requires that employers provide employees with a safe work environment that is free of recognized hazards. The services we are offering to provide are a means to that end. The service options we are offering use established procedures & equipment (i.e., disinfectants) recommended by the EPA and CDC to be effective against the COVID-19 hazard.
These projects will be quoted on a case-by-case basis. Services will be provided based on the availability of resources. Projects may be staffed by Veolia personnel, subcontractor personnel, or a combination of both. Work will be completed on a scheduled basis and invoiced per our proposal.
Non-porous (hard) surfaces can likely be disinfected. Porous (soft) surfaces are not easily disinfected.
Since porous/soft surfaces cannot be disinfected, the recommendation for their management is disposal (not cleaning/sanitization).
Decontamination solutions often contain chemicals that can damage some hard and most soft surfaces.
Decontamination procedures and processes may vary significantly based upon the size and scope of the project. Veolia and our service partners will follow CDC and other appropriate guidelines with regard to the decontamination of surfaces. As the scope of each project is different, Veolia and service partner providers would evaluate and develop a project specific plan for each request.
What types of chemicals are to be utilized?
Veolia and/or our service partners would use EPA recommended antimicrobial products on the EPA’s Registered Antimicrobial Products for Use Against Novel Coronavirus. See following:
EPA’s Registered Antimicrobial Products for Use Against Novel Coronavirus
Do customers need to have a service agreement in place for Veolia to provide services?
As with other services Veolia provides to our customers, use of existing service agreements with emergency response language will be required. Otherwise, Veolia will provide an Emergency Response Service Agreement (ERSA).
Are employees trained for this type of cleaning activity?
All Veolia working on this project have received a minimum of forty hours of health and safety training. This training meets the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.120 "Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response". This training also includes personal protective equipment, respiratory protection, hazard communication, hearing conservation, and blood borne pathogens as required by OSHA standards. Site Safety Officers have received at a minimum an additional eight hours of health and safety training emphasizing hazard recognition and control, accident prevention and investigation. If applicable, training on a specific job task or hazard will be provided (e.g. confined space entry). All sites have personnel trained on first aid and CPR procedures.
Company contractors and leased employees have received training as required by the job task to be performed. Site-specific training is provided and documented as pre-job safety briefings. Veolia creates a project specific Health and Safety Plan (HASP) for each job. (Sample HASP available upon request. Please contact your local Account Manager).
What type of disposal for the contaminated clean up material will be utilized?
Veolia has permitted hazardous and infectious waste facilities both owned and operated as well as audited and approved partners. Final disposal will be based on the makeup and type of material being disposed of. We will propose mutually approved Veolia/Customer approved facilities.
How will Veolia ensure decontamination has taken place?
There are no current tests to determine surface and material is free of the COVID-19 virus. Veolia is using recommended practices from both the CDC and EPA for both decontamination of surfaces and materials. Materials that cannot be readily decontaminated or cleaned will be identified to the customer as a recommendation item for disposal. Veolia will document what work was done and the areas that were decontaminated.
How will Veolia respond to a customer's request?
The service(s) offered will vary depending on the customer’s needs, scope of the project, availability of resources, and the supplies and equipment required. Customers will be serviced on a first come first served basis and we will communicate to the best of our ability the timing of the support we can provide.