How to ensure rented construction equipment is sanitized & free of harmful viral particulates in the COVID era
Right now is the perfect time for businesses to conduct renovations and for homeowners to do a few home improvements. With everyone working at home, professionals have more time to refinish the kitchen, and office buildings are empty; some for the first time in decades. Rented equipment is often the best way to conduct a few quick projects; or to enact a unique improvement you’ve been designing for months.
However, in the age of social distancing and virus safety, we know that everyone is cautious about using tools that are seen as ‘shared’, like rented construction equipment. In reality, rental equipment can be the safest, cleanest source of tools for your next project. If cautious project managers and homeowners take the right steps, you can be 100% certain that the tools on your project are safe to use; from the moment of arrival at your site to the time when you turn them in after your project is complete.
We propose five simple steps to ensure your rented equipment is completely COVID-safe for your pandemic improvement projects.
1) Ask About Equipment Cleaning Policies
First, know the policies of your equipment rental company. Equipment rental has adapted to a new workflow just like every other business in the post-COVID industry. We have adopted gloves and masks in the workplace; and naturally, the standards for cleanliness of equipment between clients has increased drastically.
The best way to know is to ask. Ask your equipment rental team how they ensure equipment is safe to use when picked up or delivered to site. You will likely hear a rewarding and detailed outline of sanitization and handling procedures put in place for the shared safety of customers and employees together.
2) Sanitize Touch-Surfaces of Rented Equipment Before Use
Even so, the current best practice for being 100% certain of surface safety is to sanitize before use. Whether you just received your equipment or are starting your project after some delay; wipe down the touch-surfaces with a sanitizing cloth. A few seconds of attention can ensure that any accidental breath exposure does not lead to a potential risk.
3) Sanitize All Equipment Before Every Use
In fact, you should sanitize every piece of equipment before every use. Because there is no way to know if an umasked person or a mishap has resulted in cross-contamination, it’s always better safe than sorry. Ask your entire team to exercise greater caution by cleaning their handles, control panels, windshields, touch screens, and other potential touch-surfaces before starting up the equipment each day. This rule should apply both to rented equipment and equipment that your team already owns. Every piece of equipment, ever use.
4) Ensure All Teams Work in Masks and Gloves
The next practical step is to keep your team in their PPE (personal protection equipment) when working with each other or the equipment. Homeowners conducting DIY projects with household-only team members should still consider including a mask and gloves in your construction personal protection; while all professional construction teams are already properly attired while working separately or together.
5) Sanitize and Wrap Equipment for Return
Finally, prepare your equipment to be returned at the end of your project or the rental agreement. Naturally, our equipment team will receive all equipment with PPE and care; but it’s also courteous to clean equipment before you send it back. Sanitizing high-touch surfaces and everything casually reachable with a spray bottle not only protects the receiving team, it also protects everyone who might help handle or transport the equipment as it is returned. If you sanitize a piece and there is a delay in transport, simply wrap your gear in plastic or a tarp to preserve the sanitization efforts.
Rental equipment is safe to use for your improvement projects of necessity and opportunity. In fact, equipment brought in from a rental team is even more likely to have been recently and fully sanitized. Working together, we can ensure your equipment is as safe as possible every step of the way. Contact us today to consult on how COVID-safe your improvement projects really can be.