Resources to Reduce the Spread of Infection when Disinfecting Supply Chain Mobile Devices
During the COVID-19 pandemic, protecting the health and safety of workers across all industries has become more top-of-mind than ever before. While the nature of warehouse work is socially distant by design, many operations are evaluating where they can limit contact even further.
Operations are looking for new ways to limit contact between workers such as reducing the number of associates in certain areas or adding additional shifts to spread out workers. Additionally, cleaning and disinfecting all devices, especially shared devices such as handheld computers and scanners, is a crucial part of protocol that must be executed impeccably to keep everyone safe.
Here are four tips to help implement a safe and secure cleaning protocol to help mitigate the risk of infection within your operation:
General Do's and Don'ts
It’s no secret that your handheld and mobile devices are designed to survive the harshest of supply chain environments both inside and outside the four walls. However rugged their casing me be, devices still need to be cleaned and disinfected to help mitigate the spread of disease. Here are some general do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when cleaning your essential equipment:
DO:
Use a microfiber cleaning cloth or soft towels
Soft cloths created for electronics help reduce the chance of scratching devices while cleaning.
Spray cleaner directly onto cleaning cloth
Mitigate potential damage caused by cleaning liquids by spraying the disinfectant onto the cloth before wiping down devices.
Consult device manuals
Before you begin cleaning your devices, be sure to consult manuals from device manufacturers to learn how to best clean devices.
DON'T:
Spray cleaners directly onto devices
Spraying cleaners directly onto devices can cause damage to devices or even ruin them.
Use abrasive cleaners or cleaning materials
Abrasive cleaning materials and cleaners can scratch and damage devices and touch screens, damaging their functionality, or leaving behind crevices that bacteria can grow.
Soak devices in cleaning liquid
Soaking devices in cleaning liquid can allow liquid to get inside of the devices and cause internal damage to your equipment.
Follow Manufacturer’s Instructions
The truth is no one knows how to clean your devices better than those who created them. That’s why you should be leveraging the cleaning and disinfecting user guides of your devices and our manufacturing partners to ensure your procedures properly disinfect to keep your employees safe and healthy, while also protecting the device from unnecessary damage.
Zebra Devices:
View a blog post by Zebra for cleaning your mobile device. Also, detailed guidelines on how to specifically disinfect each Zebra scanner, printer and mobile computer model can be found using this tool.
Honeywell Devices:
View Cleaning and Disinfecting Guides for Honeywell devices
Panasonic Devices:
Cleaning and Sanitizing Panasonic Toughbook computers and tablets
As you review the guides created specifically for your devices be sure to keep in mind that there is no “one size fits all” disinfecting protocol. Be sure to take some time to research the proper cleaning procedure for each device so you can build a protocol into each working shift in your warehouse. If you are not sure, or have questions about how to safely disinfect a particular device, contact our team of experts at Peak Technologies to help.
Don't Underestimate the Importance of Hand Hygiene
As emphasized repeatedly via the Centers for Disease Control, washing your hands is a key factor to help mitigate the spread of disease. Be sure to follow normal preventative actions such as avoiding touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, and washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
Keep in mind these key times to clean hands as you evaluate your overall hand hygiene:
- After blowing one’s nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After using the restroom
- Before eating or preparing food
- Before and after handling supply chain devices
- At the change of shifts
- After cleaning or disinfecting a device
- After coming into close contact with another employee
Train Employees on Protocol
It’s one thing to have a protocol in place for hand washing, sanitizing devices, and keeping people safe. It’s another to ensure that your employees are following procedures. By providing the right tools and training session for your employees, your operation can help mitigate the risk of infection while helping to create a safer work environment. It’s a good idea to deploy a cleaning protocol for each shared device and make instructions available at the device’s storage location. Include details for how to clean and disinfect and how often.
Reducing the spread of infection
Investing in proper disinfection methods for mobile devices is just the beginning of reducing the spread of infectious diseases across the supply chain. Having an actionable plan in place is essential for long-term business continuity, as well as customer and employee safety. Contact Peak Technologies today to learn more about how we can help you and your operation minimize the risk of spreading infections across your operations.
