COVID-19 Coronavirus How to act?
At Torres Bus we are taking security measures against COVID-19, we wrote this statement to reassure our new and former customers to inform them that we are fighting this epidemic, we have duplicated and increased the safety and hygiene measures in our company, to try to stop this terrible pandemic.
What measures are we taking in our company against COVID-19?
- We are included in all our alcohol hand sanitizing vehicles for both you and our drivers.
- We recommend washing your hands frequently when you are in the city of Madrid.
- We clean and disinfect both the surface of the seats, as well as the air filters and the environment
- Avoid shake hands.
- Keep away from others as much as possible
- Take respiratory hygiene measures: cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and immediately place the handkerchief in one of the bags.
Given the current situation, we are aware that plans may change unexpectedly and that flexibility when traveling is key. So, so you’re absolutely calm, we want to remind you that you can cancel your reservation at no cost and in exchange for the full refund whenever you want or postpone the service.
PROTOCOL OF ACTION AGAINST COVID-19 in TORRES BUS
The safety of our customers and employees will always be the main objective of the performance, thus increasing the quality of the services in Torres Bus.
The fight against Covid-19 reinforces our commitment to safety and health through exceptional hygiene measures.
DAILY CLEANING AND DISINFECTION OF THE FLEET
- BEFORE THE SERVICE
• Comprehensive daily cleaning of coaches, with bactericidal disinfectant products and health-safe and hypoallergenic viricides.
• Detail of the areas and points included in the daily cleaning:
Common Areas
• Access handrails
Stairs
Soils
Armchairs
Armrests
Breathers
Switches and pushbuttons
• Waste collection in Driver Cabin
Access door and grabbers
Ladder
• Flyer
Dashboard
• Trunks and wineries
Armchair
• Daily check of the availability of Personal Protective Equipment (EPIs) (gloves, masks and hydroalcoholic gel) for the driver and accompanying staff.
• Indication of unused seats: seat belts shall be fastened from seats “unused” provisionally, in order to ensure minimum separation between persons and thus control the maximum occupancy of mandatory compliance.
- DURING THE SERVICE
driver:
• All the way, you will wear either FFP2 self-filtering mask, disposable vinyl gloves or any other individual protective equipment (EPIs) provided and must remain in the cab whenever possible.
• Keep the correct distance with passengers whenever possible, both inside and outside the cabin.
• Perform a check of the maximum allowed occupancy (100% of the actual capacity of the coach, according to Order TMA/400/2020).
• Between service and service if it were not the bus to the garage, the driver will clean the bus and especially the areas that are usually touched with the hands normally: Grips, armrests, seats, etc..
Users:
According to current regulations, the use of masks is mandatory for all public transport users
At the entrance, a hydroalcoholic gel dispenser will be enabled for passenger use.
Accompaniment staff:
• Auxiliary staff (guides, school escorts, etc.) working in contact with customers will use:
• FFP2 self-filtering masks
• Disposable vinyl gloves
100ml bottles of hydroalcoholic gel
• Basic disinfection products (for first disinfection after each service)
vehicle:
• Passengers’ cabins will be ventilated regularly at stopping points.
• Air conditioning or heating will be avoided.
All our coaches and minibuses have an air renewal system and an approved antibacterial system installed.
• All this makes it possible for the ventilation systems of the buses to allow the indoor air to be completely renewed between 90 and 37seconds.
- AFTER THE SERVICE
At night, the cleaning staff will proceed again to the complete cleaning of the coach, cleaning all surfaces (crystals, floor, armchairs, dashboard, etc.).
Finally, UV-C lamps, UV-C lamps, with ultraviolet light, with a high sterilization capacity against bacteria, viruses and fungi will be left on.
- REGULATIONS IN FORCE
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, MOBILITY AND URBAN AGENDA
Technical document CLEANING AND DISINFECTION PROTOCOL FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT OF ROAD TRAVELERS
July 14, 2020 release
This document has been prepared by the Directorate-General for Land Transport and the Directorate-General for Public Health, Quality and Innovation with the participation of the Directorates of Transport of the Autonomous Communities and the Department of Travellers of the National Committee on Road Transport
The purpose of this Protocol is to serve as a reference guide on the measures to be considered by undertakings providing public road passenger services in relation to the cleaning and disinfection of mobile equipment and associated facilities, on the occasion of the health alert generated by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
Each undertaking shall develop a specific procedure, method or cleaning protocol, signed by those responsible for it, taking as reference the recommendations indicated in this Cleaning and Disinfection Protocol for public transport of road passengers, or others that may be considered equivalent. In the case of publicly owned services, you must transfer it to the Administration responsible for the public service.
Daily registration for cleaning work is also recommended.
These work parts shall include date and hours of work, operations carried out, product used and incidents that can be reviewed if any.
- COMMON ASPECTS
We must differentiate between the purpose of cleaning, as a means of removing dirt and impurities, and for which we help ourselves with products such as water and detergents; disinfection, intended to significantly eliminate or reduce the microbial load of surfaces. It is therefore important that thorough cleaning is carried out before disinfection, as the disinfection is ineffective if the surface has not previously been devoid of dirt that can serve as a refuge to microorganisms.
1.1. Cleaning products.
The products to be used in cleaning tasks shall be detergents and cleaners which are not classified as biocidal and therefore do not need any authorization from the Ministry of Health.
1.2. Disinfection products.
Disinfectants may be used as freshly prepared bleach dilutions 1:50 or any of the disinfectants with virucidal activity on the market that have been authorised and registered by the Ministry of Health
They can be found at the following link:
In the use of these products, the indications on the label will always be respected. 3 Those responsible for the provision of the cleaning or disinfection service shall collect sufficient quantity of the indicated product, EPIs (gloves, masks, etc.) suitable for application if necessary within their cleaning protocols, at the same time as the provision of training courses for mandatory personnel for the performance of cleaning and disinfection tasks, in the event that products are used for use by professional personnel or, for those products for specialized use, that the staff have the specific training in accordance with the provisions of Royal Decree 830/2010. The use of disinfectant products shall be carried out in accordance with the instructions on how to use laid down in the corresponding authorisation decision for the biocidal/virucid products concerned. In addition, they must only be able to be used by the personnel listed in those authorisations.
1.3. Procedure for applying disinfectant solution
As techniques for applying the disinfectant product for contact disinfection, a microfiber bayette, cloth, mop, etc. impregnated with the disinfectant solution may be used on each of the elements, depending on how the application of the product should be carried out as the virucida product in question is authorised, so that they are completely bathed by it and subjected to its biocidal action with the product diluted in water or pure.
It must be ensured at all times that the bayette, cloth, mop, etc. is sufficiently impregnated in disinfectant product to perform this process correctly and special attention will be paid to the areas and contact surfaces most frequent by travelers. Other techniques with similar efficiency may be used according to the authorized mode of use of the disinfectant product.
All operations must be carried out with disposable gloves suitable for the application of the virucida, if the application of the product so requires, as well as the use of other EPIs if the product authorization specifies it as such.
1.4. Cleaning staff
Workers performing cleaning and/or disinfection work shall follow the measures described in this protocol and be protected with the necessary equipment according to the level of risk exposed, in accordance with the provisions of the Occupational Risk Prevention services, as well as what is provided for in the precautionary measures and risk mitigation measures contained in the authorisation of the disinfectant products used.
– The use of gloves and masks will be mandatory at all times for cleaning activities and/or, where appropriate, disinfection. No part of the body should be touched with the gloves, if unavoidable the gloves should be changed immediately and the hands washed with soap and water.
– Disposable containers or bags shall be available for proper disposal of waste.
– Hand hygiene shall be performed before the personal protective equipment is placed. Direct contact between the hands and any surface that does not contain the bayette or any material that comes into contact with the product should be avoided.
– When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with your elbow bent or with a disposable handkerchief that should be pulled immediately.
– It is advisable to wear short and well-kept nails, avoiding the use of rings, bracelets, wristwatches or other ornaments.
– After cleaning and/or, where appropriate, disinfection, the disposable protective materials and equipment used will be placed in a properly closed bag and deposited together with the rest of the waste in a container of fraction remaining. Respiratory protective equipment should be removed last, after removal of other components such as gloves and protective jumpsuit, and after hand washing with soap and water supply or hydroalcoholic solution.
– It should be avoided at all times by touching the eyes, nose and mouth with your hands. Once the task is complete, a complete hygiene of hands, with soap and water, should be performed for at least 40-60 seconds.
– Washing and disinfection of the uniform, workwear or garments used during cleaning shall be done mechanically, with a normal laundry detergent and in washing cycles between 60o and 90o Celsius
– Follow the prescribed indications for the application of each of the virucid products authorized by the Ministry of Health.
- vehicles
Operators of passenger transport services are required to perform at least one daily cleaning and disinfection of all vehicles that have served or will provide it the next day. For extraordinary cleaning measures for vehicles, the following recommendations are established:
– In general, the minimum cleaning and disinfection frequency should be established at the end of vehicle use days (at least every 24 hours). To achieve proper disinfection, the vehicle must be clean.
– Special cleanings will be carried out in case of services considered at risk.
– Appropriate means (containers, disposable bags, etc.) will be available for the correct disposal of waste.
– Each company will carry out a cleaning and disinfection of the areas of the driving position according to its organization (for example, at each change of shift). In cases where cleaning and disinfection between shifts is not possible, drivers will have the means to dispose of waste and clean and disinfect surfaces before leaving their workplace.
– It is recommended that whenever possible a small number of employees are assigned to each bus so that if there is a contagion it is easier to control.
– Vacuuming or sweeping: Before the start of cleaning actions, the interior of the vehicle must be vacuumed or swept, always from inside the bus to the entrance door area. Subsequently, the driver’s post and the traveller’s premises will be cleaned properly, before disinfection tasks begin as follows.
– Cleaning and disinfection of the driving position: apply detergents, cleansers so that the surfaces are clean and then apply disinfectant solution to the driving cabin. The various elements and surfaces that can be contacted will be applied to the most common elements and surfaces: desk and driving devices, dashboard, exterior of auxiliary cabinets, sunshade, door drive controls, collection post and cancellers, and the communication system.
– Cleaning and disinfection of the traveller’s premises: apply detergents, cleaners so that the surfaces are clean and, subsequently, application of disinfectant solution in the travel enclosure., paying special attention to the areas and contact surfaces most frequent by travelers, such as vertical walls and clamping bars, handles and handles, armrests, door-operated controls (stop-click buttons), perimeter door and window frames , the locking and opening mechanisms of seat belts and seat belts always depending on the type of material concerned. Cleaning and disinfection of seat belts should be carried out with the view that certain products could be aggressive and impair these elements resulting in loss of their resilience.
The direction in which this process is carried out is always from inside the vehicle to the entrance door area. If more critical areas are detected, they will be included in daily cleaning and disinfection planning.
– Scrubbing the inside: subsequently, the soil will be scrubbed with soap and water or with disinfectant solution. The scrubbing of the inner compartment will always take place from inside the bus to the entrance door area. At this stage of the process you cannot touch any elements of the previously disinfected bus, as this would cause potential contamination of the previously decontaminated element.
The following information we will show you has been obtained from whoever’s official https://www.who.int/es/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
What does WHO recommend?
Basic protective measures against the new coronavirus
Keep up to date with the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, which can be accessed on the WHO website and through relevant public health authorities at the national and local levels. COVID-19 continues to mainly affect China’s population, although outbreaks have occurred in other countries. Most people who become infected have a mild illness and recover, but in other cases it can be more serious. Take care of your health and protect others through the following measures:
Wash your hands frequently
Wash your hands often with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer or soap and water.
Why? Washing your hands with an alcohol-based disinfectant or soap and water kills the virus if it is in your hands.
Take respiratory hygiene measures
When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with your elbow bent or with a handkerchief; Pull the handkerchief immediately and wash your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, or soap and water.
Why? Covering the mouth and nose during coughing or sneeze prevents germs and viruses from spreading. If you sneeze or cough by covering yourself with your hands, you can contaminate the objects or people you touch.
Maintain social estinement
Keep at least 1 meter (3 feet) away between you and others, particularly those who cough, sneeze, and have a fever.
Why? When someone with respiratory disease, such as 2019-nCoV infection, coughs or sneezes, projects small droplets containing the virus. If it’s too close, you can inhale the virus.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
Why? Hands touch many surfaces that may be contaminated with the virus. If you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth with contaminated hands, you can transfer the virus from the surface to itself.
If you have a fever, cough, and shortness of breath, seek on-time medical attention
Tell your health care provider if you have traveled to an area of China where the presence of 2019-nCoV has been reported, or if you have had close contact with someone who has travelled from China and has respiratory symptoms.
Why? Whenever you have a fever, cough, and shortness of breath, it’s important to seek medical attention right away, as these symptoms may be due to a respiratory infection or other serious condition. Respiratory symptoms with fever can have a variety of causes, and depending on your travel history and personal circumstances, 2019-nCoV could be one of them.
Stay informed and follow the recommendations of healthcare professionals
Stay informed about the latest developments regarding COVID-19. Follow the advice of your health care provider, relevant health authorities at the national and local level, or your employer on how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.
Why? National and local authorities will have the most up-to-date information on whether COVID-19 is spreading in their area. They are the most suitable partners to give advice on the measures that the population of their area must take to protect themselves.
Protective measures for people in areas where COVID-19 is spreading or who have recently visited them (in the last 14 days)
- Follow the orientations above.
- Stay home if you start to feel unwell, even if they are mild symptoms such as headache and mild rhinorrhea, until you recover.
Why? Avoiding contacts with others and visits to medical facilities will make them work more effectively and help protect you and others from possible COVID-19 virus infections or others.
- If you have a fever, cough and shortness of breath, seek medical advice quickly, as it could be due to a respiratory infection or other serious condition. Call ahead and tell your health care provider about any recent travel or any contact you have had with travelers.
Why? Calling ahead will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health center. This will also help prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus and other viruses.
Ask WHO
