Fresno State Shifts Sanitation Focus During COVID

Keeping Fresno State clean with few people around last year was the easy part. But this spring semester, a small group of classes have returned to in-person learning, offering new challenges to the entire custodial operation. Lisa Kao, Environmental Health and Safety Manager at Fresno State, was tasked with creating a system with that would keep the place clean while also being safe and conserving limited cleaning supplies.

Half of the custodial staff, most of whom worked at night, was moved to working during the day. This allowed more hands on deck for cleaning while people were coming in and out of campus. They also switched how they would clean.

Rather than one large sweep over the entire campus, they switched their focus to the high-frequency areas. This included all surfaces in classrooms and bathrooms.

Kao also implemented newer technology into the mix. Fresno State invested in Electromagnetic Misters, devices that turn EPA approved cleanser into a mist to be sprayed on surfaces.

“The system charges those particles and so that they are attracted to surfaces. So when you apply the disinfectant it clings to surfaces rather than you having to go underneath and around and in-between all the different things you’re trying to sanitize,” said Kao.

With this new plan, along with Fresno State’s online screening tool and on-campus health checks, the school is doing its best to stay virus free.