There is no clear-cut legal requirement to disinfect your space, however, InnerEnviro encourages you to do your own research, check your local ordinances and guidelines and discuss with your legal counsel. In doing so, note, OSHA’s General Duty Clause 5(a)(1) which states in general language that employers are required to provide employees with “employment and a place of employment, which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.” OSHA has pointed out on its website that its General Duty Clause is applicable to the COVID-19 situation. (29 U.S. Code § 654. Duties of employers and employees)

Without being overly presumptuous, this clause could come to the center of a legal claim should a lethal infection be traced to a specific commercial space. With the growing fatality rate of COVID-19 aside, influenza and pneumonia claim over 50K lives per year.

Guidance, regulation and law around this point will likely be evolving for many months and years to come.

OSHA notes on its website's coronavirus page: When people touch a surface or object contaminated with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and then touch their own eyes, noses, or mouths, they may expose themselves to the virus.

Early information from the CDC, the National Institutes of Health, and other study partners suggests that SARS-CoV-2 can survive on certain types of surfaces, such as plastic and stainless steel, for 2-3 days. (Forbes article, Study) However, because the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 from contaminated environmental surfaces and objects is still not fully understood, employers should carefully evaluate whether or not work areas occupied by people suspected to have the virus may have been contaminated and whether or not they need to be decontaminated in response.

OLS mist sprayers deliver a low-volume of disinfectant and provide an evenly distributed 360-degree coverage over a 6-8 foot radius. This level of coverage is bolstered with an electrostatic charge to the disinfectant so each droplet gets a positive charge greater than that of surrounding surfaces. The micro-droplets repel each other as they travel, maintaining an even spread. Like tiny magnets, each droplet seeks surfaces and coats them evenly.

OLS uses a bleach-free alternative disinfectant that is CDC/EPA certified effective against a broad range of microorganisms, including coronavirus, C. difficile spores, Hepatitis B, Norovirus, HBV*, HIV*, and Canine parvovirus.

The treatment time could vary based on the size, usage and other dynamics of the space. If your space is less than 10,000 square feet, service would typically be completed in about two hours. For a space 10,000 - 50,000 square feet in size, 2-4 hours would be necessary. Contact OLS and we will be happy to assess your needs and provide you with a more concise plan.

The answer will differ based on the quantity of traffic and how well other CDC recommended protocols are followed within your space. Keep in mind, as soon as one person enters the space, the seal is essentially broken and if that one person is a carrier, microorganisms can be spread from person to person, person to surface, and surface to person. For this reason, it is still important to continue to clean high-touch surfaces particularly in communal areas and strive to follow all CDC guidelines relevant to your space and also encourage employees and visitors to respect guidelines such as hand washing, hand-sanitizer use and masks-wearing.

Dry time is only about 10 minutes and fine to inhabit any time after dry time but two-hours is the disinfectant manufacturer’s guideline before allowing the space to be fully open to workers and visitors. This will also insure that people with sensitivities to the smell will not have issues.

The disinfectants OLS uses are EPA registered and CDC listed as effective for the elimination of coronavirus. OSHA, part of the U.S. Department of labor, has deferred to the EPA and CDC to manage the use of chemicals and approved disinfection methods. OLS also follows all of the manufacturers' specifications for use of equipment and disinfectant products and provides clients with safety data sheets for review in advance of treatment service.

No, there will be no detectable residue. The disinfectant is a water soluble chemical and it’s dispersed in micro-droplets at extremely low volume. As the water evaporates, the chlorine-based disinfectant also breaks down leaving behind no residue. Notable is that the chemical we use is also commonly used in potable drinking water treatment plants to control microorganisms.

The chemical is diluted in water and applied at a very low volume that coats surfaces with an ultra-fine mist of droplets (50-100 microns in size). An electrostatic charge on the droplets ensures that they spread evenly and that they don’t pool or run so large drops will not form and run to a point that it could drip onto a circuit board for example. The application dry time is ~10 minutes. However, if there are sensitive electronics that pose any risk of damage, we are happy to cover them before treatment. Our team will let you know if there are any items that appear to pose any risk factor for spraying.

Carpet, upholstery and other color-fast fabrics will not fade or incur any damage by being exposed to our treatment chemicals.

Our technicians can thoroughly treat and provide medical-grade disinfection services on up to 50,000 square feet usually within 2-3 hours. A typical cleaning or janitorial company with traditional spray and wipe methods would easily utilize 10 times the man hours to accomplish the same task; although likely not as effectively. There are also the hidden costs savings associated with worker absenteeism from illness. Many studies have shown absenteeism costs U.S. companies billions of dollars in lost productivity, wages, poor quality of good/services and excess management time. (Source: Forbes)

Yes, and highly recommended. OLS disinfectants are safe for use on food preparation surfaces in production facilities and restaurants alike. Once the surface has dried, food preparation surfaces can get a quick wipe with a clean wet towel or rinse for added safety and be used as normal.