Safeguarding Academic Institution Against Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Using Engineering Control Measures

Authors

  • Elexis Edmond D. Lauzon,

Abstract

— In early months of year 2020 the world was wrapped with pandemic caused by 2019 novel corona
virus (2019-nCoV). The virus leads to a disease called corona virus disease 2019 (CoVID-19). CoVID-19
affected millions and killed thousands of populations around the globe that made the World Health
Organization (WHO) to declare a pandemic alarm. WHO urges all government and private institutions to
formulate any means in stopping the spread and fighting CoVID-19. The disease can be transmitted through
physical contact like kissing, hugging, shaking hands and touching with an infected person. Also, a person
can get the disease by touching surfaces with corona virus and then touching either their eyes, nose or mouth.
Furthermore, inhaling droplets that has been transmitted by people who have CoVID-19 through breathing,
talking, sneezing or coughing may acquire the disease. In occupational safety and health aspect there are the
three control measures in containing the spread of the biological hazard such as the corona virus. These are
the engineering control measure, administrative control measure and the use of personal protective equipment.
Engineering control measure was the most effective yet most expensive among the control measures.
Personnel in academic institutions can be highly protected against the corona virus once engineering control
measures were implemented. Foot bath, air shower, tire bath, car tire spraying, car sterilizing using ultraviolet
radiation, barriers, use of copper containing materials on surfaces and hazardous materials recovery facility
are some of the identified engineering control measure that may help the academe fight against CoVID-19.

Published

2020-04-30

Issue

Section

Articles