Over the past few weeks, the government have indicated that some schools may be in a position to open their doors to pupils within certain curriculum stages. However, keeping our children safe in the school environment is admittedly a key challenge for teachers and helpers.
Many children returning to school will face new ways of working designed around the need to eliminate the risk of spreading Covid-19. The core issue with the return to school centres around the near-impossibility of preventing sociable children from coming into contact with each other, no matter how carefully the school environment is adapted to accommodate best practice.
Teaching our children to stay safe in school
The World Health Organisation (WHO) states: “The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is be well informed about the COVID-19 virus, the disease it causes and how it spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol based rub frequently and not touching your face”. This means that using hand sanitizer correctly in schools will be a significant deterrent to spreading the virus. However, the WHO suggests that we should be encouraging children to use a palmful of sanitizer (approximately 3ml) of the product to fully combat potential infection.To properly coat your hands, you need to apply gel of about half a teaspoon in volume.
We have recently launched child-friendly Sanitizer Stations for schools to use in preventing transmission of Covid-19. The stations are at child height, to encourage pupils to stop and use handsanitizer between activities and in passing. By building hand sanitization in to the daily school routine, and encouraging children to rub their hands with the product for at least fifteen seconds, allrisks of transmission by hand will be completely eradicated.
Schools will also encourage children to cough and sneeze into their elbow, to further reduce the risk of transmission of the disease. Regular hand washing, reduced contact between pupils where possible, and regular sanitization will be key to keeping pupils safe in school.
How much hand sanitizer does my school need, to open safely?
In addition to Sanitizer Stations positioned at regular intervals across the school, teachers will need to ensure that they have sufficient volumes of hand sanitizer to fulfil demand.
A five-litre tub of hand sanitizer gel will provide 1,667 3ml ‘doses’ through our dispensers. In an average class size of 30, and pupils are encouraged to use the hand sanitizer station twelve times a day, 5l of product will last for 4.6 days. For an average primary school of twelve classrooms, the school will require twelve tubs of 5l product each week.
While this is not an exact science, as pupils and staff may use the Sanitizer Station more or less frequently each day, this formula can be used as initial guidance as our children return to school.
Teachers will also be requesting that children wash their hands much more often, and for a longer duration, to further reduce the risk of transmitting the disease in schools. Our sanitizer sprays will serve to keep busy work and play areas germ free, further working towards a Covid-19-free environment.
If you would like any assistance to prepare your school environment for welcoming pupils back, please do not hesitate to speak to one of our friendly advisors, and we will do all we can to assist you to make the transition, safely.