SSC Services for Education Releases Playbook to Help Schools Stay Clean This Fall

Facilities management provider helps ensure safe learning spaces that prioritize health and safety during COVID-19

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Jul 22, 2020, 09:00 ET

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., July 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SSC Services for Education (SSC), a leading facilities and grounds management provider, has released its Return to School Recommendations: 2020 Playbook. These recommendations provide detailed guidelines for any educational institution – large or small, K12 or university, private or public – to develop an impactful and successful plan for returning students and faculty safely to school.

The 2020 Playbook outlines the precautions education facilities must take due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is broken into six key sections, including: implementation, general facilities recommendations, housekeeping recommendations, actionable strategies, a ramp-up check list, and hospital grade cleaning in education.

"Never before has the cleaning and maintenance of our country's education facilities been so closely watched," said Seth Ferriell, CEO, SSC Services. "SSC Services has been providing this exact types of service for more than half a century, giving us firsthand experience of the best practices, cleaning procedures, training and equipment needed to keep students, teachers and staff safe and healthy during a global pandemic. The 2020 Playbook shares this knowledge with the entire education community – whether they're our client or not – so all campuses can navigate the issues and reopen safely and efficiently."

As part of the implementation process, SSC outlines six actions they view as the highest priority for a safe reopening. The steps, which list critical actions needed and the desired outcomes, include:

Behavior Change: training needed to increase awareness of COVID-19 and required safety precautions
High Touch Frequency & Visible Action: daily disinfection program
Wellness Check: monitor and record employees' fitness to work
Technology: specialized product and equipment
Testing: verification tests on high-touch surfaces and other hotspots
QA Reporting: recording and reporting of critical daily activity

"For any facility to reopen, following the six implementation steps outlined in the 2020 Playbook are crucial parts of the process," continued Ferriell. "Creating and maintaining a space that prioritizes health and well-being must start by training employees, identifying risk areas, monitoring the health of all who access the building, implementing new technology, establishing a testing system, and solidifying a reporting process. Only institutions who lay this foundation will see continued success."

Additional portions of the Playbook include:

Facilities management takes a close look at the technology and equipment considerations needed, such as: HVAC systems, HEPA Systems, ultraviolet (UV) light, needlepoint bipolar ionization, and intelligent energy management, and how each of these can contribute to creating a safe and healthy environment.
Housekeeping recommendations highlight the most high-touch areas throughout the school, like classrooms, offices, dorms, transportation options, restrooms, athletic facilities and more, and best practices for accessing and cleaning these areas.
Ramp-Up Check List includes considerations, tactics and actionable insights at all stages of prep and provides an easy way for facility managers to ensure no stone has been left unturned before reopening.

To read SSC's Return to School Recommendations: 2020 Playbook, please visit: https://user-ovlymdd.cld.bz/SSC-post-covid-19-response-5. Or, if we can answer any questions or provide assistance, please contact [email protected].

About SSC Services for Education
SSC Service for Education based in Knoxville, Tennessee provides customized facility solutions to over 140 educational clients in 26 states. Our 9,000+ employees partner with these educational institutions to further the success and well-being of students, staff, and faculty by delivering quality facilities programs – custodial, grounds, and maintenance. As a trusted and specialized provider, we are committed to enhancing educational settings and creating financial guarantees. With SSC, students and staff flourish in improved surroundings, while partner schools focus on their core objective: educating future generations. http://sscserv.com/.

Media Contact:
Catherine Merritt
Communications, SSC Services for Education
(865) 673-4372
[email protected]

SOURCE SSC Services for Education