Facilities

Cleaning Protocol

Current health guidance requires that we increase our standard cleaning protocols to include daily touch points and overnight disinfection.

General Cleaning Guidance

Routine cleaning is an important part of standard infection control practices. Please refer to the State DOH guidance for areas of focus. The State DOH guidance also outlines additional procedures to perform in the event of a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a school. DOE buildings will now perform these enhanced cleaning procedures everyday regardless of any confirmed case of COVID-19. Custodian engineers will continue to comply with instructions on building ventilation and the opening of windows. Custodian engineers will continue to purchase EPA-registered anti-viral products as described in the State DOH guidelines. All products are to be used according to the label instructions.

The State DOH guidance specifies the following high-risk areas that should be cleaned and disinfected daily:

Health Office 

• Cots, treatment tables, and laundry should continue to be handled by the school health staff. 
• Custodian engineers should assist as required with providing disinfecting supplies and continue to clean these spaces as they usually do. 

LYFE Centers

• Cribs, changing tables, and laundry should continue to be handled by the program staff.
• Custodian engineers should assist as required with providing disinfecting supplies and continue to clean these spaces as they usually do. 

3-K/Pre-K Classroom Needs

• Special attention should be paid by program staff to toileting/diaper changing areas, in-classroom toileting/diapering waste receptacles, napping/resting surfaces (at least once daily), eating/food preparation surfaces, any other surfaces that may come in contact with bodily fluids, learning center toys and manipulatives, and outdoor play or gross motor equipment. For additional guidance, refer to the policy guidance for Daily Routines in Early Childhood Classrooms. 
• Custodian engineers should assist as required with replacing soap in soap dispensers and paper towels in towel dispensers as needed, providing disinfecting supplies, and continuing to clean these spaces as they usually do. The cleaning and disinfecting of bathroom areas as well as other high touch areas in the classrooms may need to happen more frequently. 
• If applicable, any classrooms that have portable sinks must be serviced/refilled as needed.

Lunchrooms (if required)

• Cafeteria lunch tables will continue to be cleaned by School Food staff. 
• Custodian engineers should assist as required with providing disinfecting supplies. 

Athletic Rooms

• Strength training equipment should continue to be handled by the school physical education staff. Floors and mats should be disinfected by custodian engineers daily.
• Other frequently touched surfaces should continue to be cleaned by custodian engineers: 
  • Classroom desks and chairs
  • Lunchroom tables and chairs
  • Door handles and push plates
  • Handrails
  • Handwashing sink faucets
  • Light switches
  • Equipment handles
  • Buttons on vending machines and elevators

Custodial Engineer Responsibility 

Custodian engineers are key contributors in ensuring that our students and school communities remain healthy and safe. Custodian engineers are directed to be diligent in ensuring that all bathrooms are sufficiently stocked with soap and paper towels at all times.

Additionally, custodian engineers are to ensure that all handwashing sinks are in a state of good repair. All custodian engineers must ensure that all buildings under their care have at least a 30-day supply of hand soap, paper towels, PPE, hand sanitizer, disposable gloves and anti-viral disinfectant in inventory. Supply orders for these products are to be placed immediately. 

In an effort to minimize the potential transmission of the COVID-19 virus, custodian engineers are directed to implement the following cleaning and disinfecting protocols in all buildings: 

• Nightly disinfecting of all exposed surfaces in all occupied spaces in their assigned buildings. 
• Disinfecting of these areas must take place daily, utilizing electrostatic backpack sprayers with the approved disinfectant, a variety of which will be available in FAMIS from SDI. 
• All non-porous, frequently contacted surfaces such as desk/table tops, drinking fountains, faucet handles, door hardware, push plates, light switches and handrails are to be wiped down and disinfected throughout the day utilizing an anti-viral disinfectant and cleaning product following the respective cleaning product’s labels. 
• Special attention is to be paid to horizontal surfaces in the building’s common areas, classrooms and bathrooms. 
• A standard 2% bleach solution is also acceptable. 
• Custodian engineers are required to complete and maintain daily bathroom inspection and disinfection logs. The logs are to be kept onsite and are to be made available upon request. 

School Staff Responsibility 

In an effort to minimize the potential transmission of the COVID-19 virus, school staff are encouraged to implement the following cleaning protocols in their buildings: 

• We will make available either disinfectant wipes or spray bottles with disinfectant for all classrooms. Cleaning supplies should be stored in a safe space within the classroom so that younger children do not have access. 
• Note that office equipment such as telephones, desktops and computers/peripherals will be cleaned by their users. 
• Program equipment (toys, items used for teaching, athletic equipment, etc.) will also be cleaned by their users. 

School staff should contact their Custodian Engineer if they need additional supplies.

Ventilation Protocols

The Division of School Facilities (DSF) will continue to implement a comprehensive and strategic approach to ensure every building has proper ventilation that is operating as designed. Custodial staff are performing regular maintenance on all heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. HVAC systems provide heating and cooling to our administrative and school buildings. These systems will be maintained in proper working order with a focus on fresh air intake, ventilation, exhaust, and filtration. All air filters are being cleaned, replaced, or modified as required and will be maintained throughout the school year. Where applicable, DSF will utilize filters of a higher efficiency rating

To promote enhanced airflow in public school buildings the New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE) partnered with city agencies across NYC (DOB/DOHMH/FDNY) and the School Construction Authority (SCA) to deploy independent engineers to perform ventilation inspections. Utilizing guidance set forth by the World Health Organizations (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , a citywide team of independent engineers have assessed each space, including restrooms, to determine if there is operational ventilation per the design of the building. When an issue was found in a specific room, the engineer teams provided a path to a resolution.

Each principal has received a copy of the SCA ventilation walkthrough report which contained the complete inspection data for every room that was visited.

Since the time of the initial survey, additional inspections have been performed and a real-time ventilation status for each building’s room can be found on the DOE website.

HVAC Policy

HVAC systems will be maintained in proper working order to maximize the supply of outdoor air for ventilation. All school buildings are provided with ventilation by a combination of the following systems:

• Supply and exhaust fans 
• Windows and exhaust fans 
• Combination of supply and exhaust fans and windows 
• HVAC systems - roof top units, air handling units and dedicated outside systems

These systems are installed to meet the Building Code Requirements at the time of design and construction. 

• All classrooms have been provided with two air purifiers.
• Buildings that have supply and exhaust fans do not require operable windows.
• Windows can be used as the primary source of ventilation for a room, additional air dilution and supplemental ventilation, or if the mechanical system fails. 
• For effective ventilation, windows will need to be open when the room is occupied. The windows must have 4% of the total square footage of the room opened when occupied. Please work with the custodial staff to ensure effective ventilation in rooms with windows. 
• Mechanical ventilation can be utilized with both supply and exhaust fans, or only exhaust fans for bathrooms.
• Mechanical ventilation is provided by HVAC Units that supply fresh air into inner core rooms of buildings that do not have windows. Please speak with your custodian engineer to ensure fresh air is being supplied into any inner core rooms without windows in the building if comfort levels fluctuate. 

In preparation for the first day of school (FDOS), DSF has taken the following steps to ensure the systems that were installed meet the building code requirements at the time of design and construction. 

If your building has rooms designed without windows:

• Custodian engineers will maximize the mechanical ventilation provided by HVAC Units that supply fresh air into inner core rooms of buildings. 
• Custodial staff are performing regular maintenance on all HVAC systems. All air filters are being cleaned, replaced, or modified as required for FDOS and will be maintained throughout the school year. DSF will be upgrading filters to a higher efficiency rating, where applicable. 
• All HVAC equipment and the areas/rooms supported by these systems have been inspected by custodian engineers and will continue to be inspected daily to ensure proper operation.
• Custodial staff will operate all applicable HVAC equipment and ventilate buildings two (2) hours prior to building occupancy and one (1) hour after building occupancy. 

If your building is designed with windows:

• Buildings that have operable windows are in compliance with ventilation requirements. Windows will remain open when spaces are occupied. For more information regarding windows, please reach out to your custodian engineer or custodial staff in the building.
• Custodial staff will operate all exhaust systems two (2) hours prior to building occupancy and one (1) hour after building occupancy. 

Restroom Guidance

A restroom is deemed to have operational ventilation if air is able to flow in and out; whether by natural or mechanical means. Thus, a restroom is deemed to have operational ventilation if it has at least one of the following ventilation options:

• An operational supply fan
• An operational exhaust fan 
• An operational unit ventilator
• An operational air purifier
• In the event the restroom ventilation is not operating, open windows, open doors, and limit the quantity in the restroom to (1) one occupant

An important approach to lowering the concentrations of indoor air pollutants or contaminants is to increase ventilation. It is ideal to leave a bathroom door open to provide optimal cross air ventilation. For privacy, most doors are equipped with vents that also bring in air and assist in reducing indoor air pollutants. 

At times, increasing ventilation with all or mostly outside air may not always be possible or practical. In such cases, we adhere to the guidance set forth by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Open external link) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) which states that the effective rate of ventilation per person can also be increased by limiting the number of people present in any given space; in our case, the restrooms.

Implementation should be guided by what is feasible, practical, acceptable, and tailored to the meet the needs of each school. Therefore, if a restroom does not have at least one of the above referenced ventilation options, it will either be taken offline, used with a limited capacity or utilized for single use occupancy until such repairs can be made.

Safe Restroom Practices

Measures to reduce the quantity of occupants, ensure proper ventilation, and increase the frequency of handwashing reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in restrooms. Examples of safe restroom practices include:

• Limit the number of individuals permitted to use a given restroom at one time to allow for safe distancing
• Restrict sink use to every other station to ensure safe distancing
• Require regular handwashing with warm water for at least (20) twenty seconds, or with an alcohol-based sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol
• Require staff and students to wash hands when they are visibly soiled and after removing any personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Post handwashing signs in restrooms
• Ensure that if restroom ventilation (e.g. operational supply fan, operational exhaust, or unit ventilator ) are operating, the restroom door should be left open to avoid the need for occupants to touch doorknobs and handles; and
• If restroom ventilation is not operating, open windows, open doors, and limit the quantity to (1) one occupant. 

Ventilation When Cleaning and Disinfecting

When cleaning and disinfecting for COVID-19, ventilation is important. The Division of School Facilities (DSF) uses EPA approved anti-viral cleaning and disinfecting products (adhering to their label instructions) as this is the best way to ensure that any indoor air pollution risks are minimized while still maintaining the effectiveness of the disinfecting product. 

Lastly, our custodial staff are regularly inspecting bathrooms for cleanliness, disinfecting touchpoints, and stocking restrooms with hand soap, toilet paper and paper towels at all times. At the end of each day, all restrooms will be cleaned and disinfected utilizing the above-mentioned EPA approved disinfectant(s) suited for the elimination of COVID-19.

For questions regarding HVAC, principals can reach out to their deputy director of facilities (DDF).