Cleaning and decontamination of the healthcare environment

Environmental cleaning battling against Covid-19 infection in health-care facilities

Purpose

This study aims to identify and validate the environmental cleaning elements and performance criteria to prevent Covid-19 infection in health-care facilities.

Design/methodology/approach

Eight elements and 38 performance criteria were identified from the literature, and a questionnaire survey that involved environmental cleaning experts was carried out. Content validity index was used to validate the content of the environmental cleaning elements and performance criteria in this study.

Findings

The result indicates that the performance criteria of “Finishes, furnishings” and “Equipment Maintenance Log” were not relevant to be applied in current fighting against Covid-19 infection in health care. However, the remaining 36 performance criteria were proved as relevant and acceptable.

Practical implications

The findings of this study can provide a significant contribution to the built environment industry. By knowing the environmental cleaning elements and performance criteria, efforts can be carried out to explore measures that can be taken to improve the environmental cleaning practice in health care to battle against Covid-19 infection.

Originality/value

This paper fulfils an identified need to study how environmental cleaning can be implemented in health-care facilities.