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Safe
UR WORLD HAS BEEN TURNED UPSIDE-DOWN during the past weeks. As of this writing, more than 3 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 (the illness caused by the Coronavirus) and more than 350,000 have died. In the U.S., more than 1 million Americans have contracted Covid-19, over 107,000 have died, and the majority of Americans are under stay-at-home orders.
During A Pandemic Nothing is 100 percent, but some steps can help keep patrons and staff safer while the Coronavirus is in play.
This pandemic has focused many industries, including parking, on public health and how we can make public facilities safer. The Coronavirus is extraordinarily contagious—experts estimate that it’s three times more contagious than the flu—and public places pose particular risks. In fact, anyplace where multiple people congregate, particularly places with shared surfaces that can become contaminated, poses potential health dangers. According to the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), the Coronavirus can remain active on plastic and steel surfaces for as many as two to three days. Parking facilities fall into this category. It’s imperative parking owners and organizations with parking assets to take the necessary steps to make parking areas safer and protect parking employees and visitors. SHUTTERSTOCK / JAMESBIN / DMITRY KOVALCHUK / PETR BORN
By Bill Smith
Sanitation Protecting the health of staff and other parkers begins with cleaning. Sanitation is essential, particularly in common areas. There are many shared touchpoints that require frequent, aggressive cleaning. Also, if you can obtain extra sanitizing wipes, it makes sense to leave them in common areas so employees and other parkers can wipe down any surfaces they touch. Not only does this protect them, but it protects others who will be touching those surfaces after them. “During this crisis, adhere to the guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC),” says Nicole Chinea, CAPP, senior project manager in WGI’s Parking Solutions Division. “The CDC recommends cleaning hard, non-porous surfaces with a detergent or soap before disinfecting them. And until this crisis passes, it’s advisable to use hospital-grade cleaning supplies.” PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / JUNE 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITY 47