Schools, nurseries, and kindergartens are places where numerous harmful microorganisms can form and the opportunities for these organisms to circulate and spread are also greater than in other environments.
For these reasons, it is essential having fully disinfected and decontaminated environments in all the facilities that host children and young people.
The Italian Ministry of Health provides for these facilities multiple hygiene rules with regard to personal hygiene, cleaning and disinfection of environments and, last but not least, also the safety of the administered food.
Schools and kindergartens (the latter with greater attention) must comply with these directives.
Think about nurseries: babies may be unable to properly carry out the simplest hygienic rules, such as washing their hands, or blowing their nose.
They put their little hands in their mouth and then put them on toys, walls, floors, not only risking being infected by viruses and germs found on all these surfaces but increasing the risk of cross-contamination.
In addition, in these structures there is a high probability of circulation of viruses responsible for so-called childhood rash diseases such as Rubella, Chickenpox, Scarlet fever, Measles, as well as pests such as lice.
It is clear that in a school the disinfection activity should be performed in all classrooms, teachers’ rooms, recreational and creative areas, bathrooms, refectories, kitchens, common areas, not only to protect the health of children, but also for the health of adults working within the facility.
Due to the pandemic caused by Covid-19 many Italian municipal administrations have decided to implement extraordinary measures of decontamination of many nurseries, schools and early childhood facilities, with the aim of decontaminating all surfaces that are potentially infected and, therefore, to limit contagion.
In Italy the respect of the hygienic-sanitary conditions is verified by the local health board (ASL).
The owners of the school are also required to comply with all the requirements of Legislative Decree 81/08 (single text on health and safety at work), so they have the obligation to ensure healthy working environments for their employees.
The disinfection of air and surfaces of these structures therefore becomes a mandatory activity to be carried out on a regular basis.
Hygiene risks in nurseries and school facilities
In nurseries, kindergartens and school facilities, surfaces can be contaminated by numerous biological agents, including: viruses, bacteria, fungi, mites, molds, dust, endoparasites, etc. that cause numerous diseases, infections and other health problems.
The sources of contagion are numerous: inhalation, contact with contaminated surfaces or proximity to infected people.
If the hygienic rules for the environment and food are not respected, there is an environmental-hygienic risk linked to the exposure to:
- Biological agents (for example: biological fluids, dust, insects, molds, etc.).
- Chemical agents (residues left by chemical products that are used for daily cleaning, for example: bleach, soaps, detergents, etc.).
Crossing paths with these harmful substances may increase the risks of:
- Contract bacterial and/or viral infections
- Develop allergies and dermatitis
- Food toxins (intoxications)
With a consequent increase in illnesses of both staff and children.
Hygiene risks in nurseries and school facilities
In nurseries, kindergartens and school facilities, surfaces can be contaminated by numerous biological agents, including: viruses, bacteria, fungi, mites, molds, dust, endoparasites, etc. that cause numerous diseases, infections and other health problems.
The sources of contagion are numerous: inhalation, contact with contaminated surfaces or proximity to infected people.
If the hygienic rules for the environment and food are not respected, there is an environmental-hygienic risk linked to the exposure to:
- Biological agents (for example: biological fluids, dust, insects, molds, etc.).
- Chemical agents (residues left by chemical products that are used for daily cleaning, for example: bleach, soaps, detergents, etc.).
Crossing paths with these harmful substances may increase the risks of:
- Contract bacterial and/or viral infections
- Develop allergies and dermatitis
- Food toxins (intoxications)
With a consequent increase in illnesses of both staff and children.
In addition, unhealthy environments increase the risk of:
- Infestations (for example: lice, mites, mosquitoes, cockroaches, ants, bugs, etc.).
- Formation and proliferation of molds, fungi, spores
The disinfection and decontamination of nurseries, kindergartens and school facilities must therefore be carried out in the correct way and through the use of products that are not harmful, in order to avoid health problems to all people attending the facility.
The environments that must be disinfected are:
- The indoor and outdoor playground areas (equipment, games, sandpits)
- Classrooms
- The refectories
- Kitchens
- Toilets
- The ventilation systems
- Common spaces such as: corridors, the entrance hall, stairs, gymnasium, locker rooms
- The infirmary
- Teachers’ rooms
In addition, unhealthy environments increase the risk of:
- Infestations (for example: lice, mites, mosquitoes, cockroaches, ants, bugs, etc.).
- Formation and proliferation of molds, fungi, spores
The decontamination of nurseries, kindergartens and school facilities must therefore be carried out in the correct way and through the use of products that are not harmful, in order to avoid health problems to all people attending the facility.
The environments that must be disinfected are:
- The indoor and outdoor playground areas (equipment, games, sandpits)
- Classrooms
- The refectories
- Kitchens
- Toilets
- The ventilation systems
- Common spaces such as: corridors, the entrance hall, stairs, gymnasium, locker rooms
- The infirmary
- Teachers’ rooms
The benefits of disinfection in
in nurseries, kindergartens, and schools
The decontamination of schools increases safety of babies, children and youngsters, increasing their parents’ serenity.
The disinfection activity is performed with substances that, thanks to their biocidal action, can generate the following benefits:
ELIMINATION OF MICROBIAL LOAD: VIRUSES, BACTERIA, GERMS AND PATHOGENS AND/OR POLLUTANTS (AVOIDING THEIR REFORMATION).
DISINFECTION AND DEEP CLEANING: IF OZONE OR HYDROGEN PEROXIDE ARE USED, THESE PRODUCTS CAN REACH ALL THE SURFACES WITHIN THE ROOMS, EVEN THOSE HARDER TO REACH.
CLEANER AND FRESHER AIR, THANKS TO THE ELIMINATION OF THE PARTICLES RESPONSIBLE FOR BAD SMELLS
CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROPER MAINTENANCE OF THE VENTILATION SYSTEMS, MAKING THEM SAFER BECAUSE THEY ARE FREE OF MICROORGANISMS HARMFUL TO HEALTH
COMFORTABLE MICROCLIMATE
FACILITATING AND SPEEDING UP MECHANICAL CLEANING ACTIVITIES
REMOVAL OF VOLATILE RESIDUES LEFT BY CHEMICAL DETERGENTS USED TO CLEAN ENVIRONMENTS
PESTS REMOVAL (LICE, BUGS, COCKROACHES, FLIES, ETC.).
The reduction of dirt and the disinfection of schools improve the quality of life of people mainly for two reasons: the inactivation of viruses, which reduces the risk of infection and the elimination of substances that cause allergies, minimizing the probability that children and teachers develop allergic dermatitis or other skin irritations.
How we disinfect your nursery, kindergarten, and school facility
As seen, the possible places of infection in a school, nursery or kindergarten are numerous.
Decontamination is performed in indoor and outdoor environments, with the aim of disinfecting the air and all surfaces that may be contaminated:
- Floor, walls, glass, ceilings, etc
- Gardens and courtyards
- The furniture and furnishings inside the classroom
- Equipment and tools
- The aeraulic systems
The technologies that we at GEA recommend for performing the decontamination of schools use the potential of ozone (O3) or hydrogen peroxide stabilized (H2O2).
As required by the Italian authorities, the treatment is carried out by specialized operators (like our environmental technicians) through the use of professional and certified machines, which deliver products that do not damage the surfaces with which they come into contact during the treatment, nor the people who enter the rooms after the treatment.
How the disinfection of your school is carried out by our environmental technicians
After the cleaning of the premises carried out by your operators before the intervention, one of our environmental technicians will decontaminate the premises of your nursery, kindergarten or school.
If the most suitable solution for your needs turns out to be hydrogen peroxide stabilized, the technician will nebulize the disinfectant product in the ducts of the A.T.U. (Air Treatment Unit) and/or in the rooms. This technology is suitable for indoor environments.
If instead the technology you have chosen is ozone, the technician will measure the size of the room in order to appropriately set the time (about 15-20 minutes) in which the generator must deliver the ozone. This technology is only used to disinfect indoor environments.
To double-check the effectiveness of the treatment, our technician will take microbiological samples from the surfaces (both before and after the disinfection) in order to detect the total microbial load.
The result of the analysis of these samples – carried out by the accredited laboratory specialized in microbiological analysis – will be inserted in our technical report.
How the disinfection of your school
is carried out by our environmental technicians
After the cleaning of the premises carried out by your operators before the intervention, one of our environmental technicians will decontaminate the premises of your nursery, kindergarten or school.
If the most suitable solution for your needs turns out to be hydrogen peroxide stabilized, the technician will nebulize the disinfectant product in the ducts of the A.T.U. (Air Treatment Unit) and/or in the rooms. This technology is suitable for indoor environments.
If instead the technology you have chosen is ozone, the technician will measure the size of the room in order to appropriately set the time (about 15-20 minutes) in which the generator must deliver the ozone. This technology is only used to disinfect indoor environments.
To double-check the effectiveness of the treatment, our technician will take microbiological samples from the surfaces (both before and after the disinfection) in order to detect the total microbial load.
The result of the analysis of these samples – carried out by the accredited laboratory specialized in microbiological analysis – will be inserted in our technical report.
For more specific information on our school disinfection services contact us by filling out the form below!
To purchase products and machinery visit our shop!