Residence Facilities Services provide cleaning activities to standards endorsed by the Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA) for all locations in Residence buildings.
Students are expected to demonstrate proper shared space etiquette and use the materials for disinfecting common surfaces and equipment after individual use (washrooms, laundry room, study/lounge rooms, kitchens, etc.). Students can request supplies for personal use for in-room cleaning by submitting a work request through the online portal https://www.queensu.ca/residences/residence-services/laundry-maintenance/maintenance.
Areas for cleaning by students include:
- Personal tables, desks & chairs
- Computers, small electronics & appliances
- Counter spaces in common areas after an individual use
- In-room door knobs & light switches
To further enhance our cleaning protocols, we have worked with Bunzl Canada, leaders in cleaning innovation technology, to implement wandaNEXT. This system uses real-time data to target immediate needs and proactively refills dispensing units to improve hygiene and reduce waste.
Custodial staff disinfect surfaces twice daily in addition to a two-step cleaning and disinfecting process. The Facilities department uses hard surface disinfectants approved for use in Industrial, Hospital and Food Service environments by the Government of Canada. Disinfectant is applied in two primary techniques; spray bottle and microfiber cloth or electrostatic spraying technology. Hand sanitizer dispensers are also available in all building entrances, elevators, near washrooms and common rooms.
High Touch Point Disinfection
We are continuing to clean and disinfect high touch surfaces in public spaces within residences. Public spaces include:
- Communal & public washrooms
- Elevators
- Student kitchen and lounge spaces
- Hallways & stairwells
- Laundry rooms
- Garbage depots
- General office space
Within these identified public spaces, the following have been identified as high touch surfaces:
- Toilets & urinals
- Elevator buttons
- Light switches
- Counters
- Bannisters and handrails
- Handles
- Faucets and sinks
- Common area furniture, etc.
Routine Daily, Facility Cleaning
The Facilities team also completes routine daily cleaning activities in the following areas:
- Communal and public washrooms
- Elevators
- Student kitchen and lounge spaces
- Hallways and stairwells
- Laundry rooms
- Garbage depots
- Dining halls
The following cleaning activities take place in addition to high touch point disinfection already being completed in the areas mentioned above:
- Dusting flat surfaces
- Restocking soap & toilet paper
- Picking up garbage
- Sweeping & dust mopping floors
- Wet mopping & auto scrubbing floors
- Emptying trash containers and disinfecting garbage bins
- Straightening furniture, etc.
Routine Weekly, Facility Cleaning
Facilities staff address lower utilized spaces on a weekly basis such as:
- Meeting rooms
- General offices
Within these identified areas, the following cleaning activities take place:
- Dusting flat surfaces
- Picking up garbage
- Sweeping & dust mopping floors
- Wet mopping & auto scrubbing floors
- Emptying trash containers
- Straightening furniture, etc.
Semi-Private Washrooms with Showers, Biweekly
- Clean & disinfect toilets, sinks, mirrors, shower walls, door handles, faucets and spot disinfect additional high-frequency touchpoints on a bi-weekly basis
- Restocking toilet paper, sweep & dust mop, wet mop and auto scrub floors
Quality Assurance Measures
The Facilities department has an active monitoring program with regular worksite audits to ensure we meet quality standards across our buildings. Orange QC, an app-based program, validates our daily cleaning practices, referencing user-created, building-specific inspection criteria that match the APPA cleaning standards. Assistant Managers audit 15% of the spaces cleaned in their respective areas (APPA standard is 10%) daily and use inspection data to respond to any concerns in cleaning standards.
Ventilation in Residence
Properly functioning building ventilation is an important part of mitigating the risk of COVID-19 transmission. A variety of mitigation measures are being implemented to optimize our HVAC systems. It is important to note that Public Health measures such as vaccinations, face masks, robust cleaning protocols and good hygiene are critical components in reducing the transmission of the virus. HVAC systems in good working order contribute to removing and diluting airborne particles; however, the systems alone will not eliminate the risk of virus.
Cleaning protocols in the event of a confirmed COVID case in residence
The Residence Facilities team is trained to the Provincial Infectious Disease Advisory Committee (PIDAC) standard. Isolation cleaning and disinfection of the space is done using recommended chemicals and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Working in partnership with our colleagues in Queen’s Facilities, the following measures are in place:
Increasing outdoor air intake
- Residence air handling units are optimized to ensure that the fresh air dampers are 100% open
- In some buildings, bedrooms are equipped with in-room thermostats to adjust the temperature in the space. As a result of this there is some air recirculation, however, it is exhausted through the bathroom exhaust fan
- Increasing air exchanges by extending fan run time
- All residence buildings are controlled through a Building Automation System (BAS)
- The BAS is the program that controls HVAC operation and has been tailored to have fans run continuously.
Filter Replacements & Preventative Maintenance
- New filters have been installed over the summer months.
- Each component of our HVAC system is accounted for in our Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) program, Archibus ensuring regular Preventative Maintenance Routines get completed.
- In addition to filter replacements, the routines includes a visual inspection of the equipment and noted deficiencies are repaired.
Operable Windows
- Window assessments were completed in all residence buildings.
- Repair work is underway to ensure that all bedroom windows remain operable for student use upon their arrival.