COVID-19 Update: Cleaning and Sanitization Procedures

While most of Smithsonian’s staff is working from home, some of our employees must work on site, not just in our museums and on our properties, but also in leased spaces. These office spaces are managed by different property owners, but that does not change Smithsonian’s responsibility for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the staff that work in those spaces.

Should a Smithsonian employee or affiliated staff member who works in a leased space be diagnosed with COVID-19, the reporting procedure is the same as an employee who works in a museum or other Smithsonian-owned facility. The ill employee or affiliated staffer should contact the resource inbox and they will be contacted by a nurse on the Response Team to begin a contact investigation. The Response Team will protect the Ill person’s privacy while also informing anyone who had contact with that person that they have been exposed to COVID-19. The Response Team will also work with OFMR and the appropriate property management contacts to ensure any necessary cleaning takes please.

To see complete instructions on reporting a positive case of COVID-19 to the Response Team, please visit this document on Smithsonian’s Coronavirus Info website.

Additionally, many on-site employees use shared equipment and spaces. From employees using the same workstation over different shifts, to employees using shared tools, it is common for our staff to encounter technology, equipment, and furnishings that are used by more than one employee.

OFMR is responsible for cleaning public and shared spaces, but individuals are responsible for cleaning their own shared workspaces. This means that on-site employees should wipe down and disinfect their computers (especially their keyboard and mouse), telephones, door handles, desks, and other commonly touched surfaces at the start and end of every shift, or in the case of tools, before and after they use that piece of equipment. If you work on site and need to order appropriate cleaning supplies to clean shared items, please discuss this with your unit leader or supervisor.

To become more familiar with Smithsonian’s cleaning protocols, please read this document. These protocols, as well as other information and guidance concerning Smithsonian’s response to COVID-19, can be found on the Coronavirus Information website. Should you have any questions, please reach out to the Response Team’s resource inbox.

Stay safe and be well.

Sincerely,
The COVID-19 Response Team

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