Using Teams To Clean Busy Transit Hubs

DTZ, which entered into a contract last fall to clean Boston Logan International Airport’s terminals, office buildings and rental car center, relies on demand-based deployment to keep transit areas clean and to control infection.

“The frequency of cleaning isn’t driven by the clock, it’s dictated by the throughput and passenger load, and utilization of the facility,” says Kennedy. “You have to look at the inbound and outbound schedules to see where people are moving, and then set your schedule accordingly.”

The company staffs areas with teams of cleaning personnel, and then carries an additional staff (at least 10 percent more than needed) on each shift to serve as a “tiger” team that is deployed to clean high-touch surfaces and restrooms during periods of high use.

“I shift this team from one area to another as coverage needs change,” Kennedy explains.

Sky Harbor employs a similar strategy, relying on a combination of zone and team cleaning to get the job done. There is one staff assigned to core duties and then a second team that is dispatched as needed.

“They sort of follow the crowd,” Gawin says. “Cleaners are on the concourses 24 hours a day, even when people are there. They move through the crowd, keeping the area clean and picked up, and wiping high-touch surfaces, such as handrails on escalators and moving walkways, as they move through.”

Cleaning high-touch surfaces is critical to preventing cross-contamination and the spread of germs.

“All the bars and railings people normally hang onto are critically important, especially during cold and flu season,” Searcy says. “Check-in counters rarely get disinfected, but think about how many people come to them to check in or hand over their luggage. And think about how many people touch kiosk screens to punch in their information.”

A number of mass transit facilities now supply disinfectant wipes for people to use in these areas, he adds.

Once identified, high-touch surfaces must be cleaned every time a cleaner moves through.

“You need to spray and wipe your way through every room and doorway, with a chemical that is nontoxic,” says Kennedy.