NEHA Hurricane Response Guide

Hurricane Response Guide for Environmental Public Health Professionals

Laundry Service Considerations Here are some considerations for laundering for shelter operations: ƒ Always wear gloves and aprons when handling laundry to prevent the spread of germs and to protect your clothing. ƒ Use a hot wash cycle with water temperature between 105 - 120°F (40 - 49°C) for at least 10 minutes to effectively kill germs. ƒ Dry laundry on a hot setting at 160°F (71°C) for at least 30 minutes to ensure thorough disinfection. ƒ If the above washing and drying criteria are met, no bleach is necessary for disinfection. ƒ If linens are heavily soiled, it is best to dispose of them to prevent the spread of contamination. ƒ Designate separate areas for sorting and folding laundry to minimize the risk of cross-contamination. ƒ Mark and separate storage areas for clean and soiled linens to prevent mixing and contamination. ƒ Ensure that clean linen storage is easily distinguishable from soiled linen storage to avoid confusion. Infection Control ƒ Ensure a separate area for ill persons. ƒ Provide hand washing/sanitizing stations at each entrance to the isolation/observation area. ƒ Increase cleaning schedule frequency. ƒ Encourage respiratory hygiene (i.e., disposable tissues, frequent hand washing, hand sanitizers available, cough/sneeze into sleeve). ƒ Maintain adequate supplies (i.e., tissues, soap, disposable towels, hand sanitizer) on-site. ƒ Open restroom doors. ƒ Increase restroom cleaning frequency to hourly. ƒ Sanitize common surfaces with bleach or other EPA-approved disinfectants. Resources ƒ ADA Checklist for Shelters (2007) ƒ AMCA’s Best Management Practices - American Mosquito Control Association ƒ Caring for Our Children ƒ CSPECE Disaster Recovery Supplement | Safe Places for Child Care | ATSDR (cdc.gov) ƒ Emergency Shelter - Immediate Needs ƒ Environmental Health Assessment Form for Disaster Shelters ƒ Environmental Health Disaster Shelter Assessment Guide ƒ EPA - Registered Disinfectants ƒ Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response ƒ Integrated Pest Management Principles ƒ Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, ASCE/SEI 7-10 ƒ Minimum Design Loads And Associated Criteria for Buildings And Other Structures ƒ Ready.gov/Shelter ƒ Shelter Based Care for Homeless Populations ƒ Shelter Field Guide ƒ Sheltering Handbook: Disaster Services

ƒ Shelter Operations: Pet-Friendly Shelters (ready.gov) ƒ Social Media Graphics – messaging (different languages) ƒ Standards for Hurricane Evacuation Shelter Selection

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