Posting on behalf of Happy Freedman, copy pasted from his email to me this morning. Please feel free to share from here (apologies only in English)
To our friends and peers:
We are writing this with concern for the health and well-being of our fellow workers in the cycling industry. Some of us have one foot in the cycling industry and one foot in medicine. We decided to make recommendations based on what we have learned in the medical profession regarding professional hygiene.
Currently, we are dealing with the coronavirus epidemic. The following suggestions are things that should be incorporated into your everyday work. Personal protection and common sense are the keys to staying healthy. Any person who may come in close contact with bodily fluids should follow standard precautions. This includes proper hand hygiene and the use of personal protective equipment (gloves, masks, goggles) whenever exposure to bodily fluids is anticipated. For more information about standard precautions, please see the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/...ard-precautions.html
In the cycling industry, we are often exposed to bodily fluids when cleaning or working on a bike. It is not uncommon for urine, feces, and blood to be found on a bicycle, even if it is not visible. The presence of these bodily fluids increases our risk of being exposed to bacteria or viruses. We recommend using rubber gloves, safety goggles, and even a facemask when washing bikes, particularly if using a pressure washer. Pressure washers may aerosolize particles, which then makes them easy to inhale.
Viruses, bacteria, and fungi live on many types of surfaces that are found in a bike shop or fit studio. You may want to use a disinfectant spray or cloth to clean these surfaces. Counters, arms of chairs, doorknobs, and elevator buttons are but a few places where pathogens can live. If you are using a surface cleaner to disinfect, read the label carefully, as some of them require a period of time in which they must remain on the surface to kill bacteria and viruses. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not kill all pathogens. They should not be used if your hands are visibly soiled, after using the bathroom, or before eating. Soap and water are far more effective for killing and removing germs, as long as you use proper technique. The CDC has a fact sheet for when and how to use hand sanitizer vs. handwashing: https://www.cdc.gov/...itizer-factsheet.pdf
For bike fitters, we strongly recommend that you ask your clients about a current or past history of communicable diseases. We also recommend the use of an infrared thermometer to check for fever without having to have physical contact. We recommend rescheduling fit appointments if your client is sick, which may prevent you from getting sick. Before and after every client, you should wash your hands with soap and water. You should also wash your hands after doing mechanical work on a bike. If you are using a table for examinations, it should be disinfected after each exam. We recommend table paper in addition to disinfecting between clients. Remember that these precautions are done for your protection as well as your clients’.
Happy Freedman
Bike Fitter, Hospital for Special Surgery
Andrea Myers, PT, DPT
Board Certified Orthopedic Specialist
Bike Fitter, Class Cycles
Anne Barnes
ABBikefit, Ltd
FIST/SICI/FIST DOWN DEEP
X/Y Coordinator
abbikefit@gmail.com
To our friends and peers:
We are writing this with concern for the health and well-being of our fellow workers in the cycling industry. Some of us have one foot in the cycling industry and one foot in medicine. We decided to make recommendations based on what we have learned in the medical profession regarding professional hygiene.
Currently, we are dealing with the coronavirus epidemic. The following suggestions are things that should be incorporated into your everyday work. Personal protection and common sense are the keys to staying healthy. Any person who may come in close contact with bodily fluids should follow standard precautions. This includes proper hand hygiene and the use of personal protective equipment (gloves, masks, goggles) whenever exposure to bodily fluids is anticipated. For more information about standard precautions, please see the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/...ard-precautions.html
In the cycling industry, we are often exposed to bodily fluids when cleaning or working on a bike. It is not uncommon for urine, feces, and blood to be found on a bicycle, even if it is not visible. The presence of these bodily fluids increases our risk of being exposed to bacteria or viruses. We recommend using rubber gloves, safety goggles, and even a facemask when washing bikes, particularly if using a pressure washer. Pressure washers may aerosolize particles, which then makes them easy to inhale.
Viruses, bacteria, and fungi live on many types of surfaces that are found in a bike shop or fit studio. You may want to use a disinfectant spray or cloth to clean these surfaces. Counters, arms of chairs, doorknobs, and elevator buttons are but a few places where pathogens can live. If you are using a surface cleaner to disinfect, read the label carefully, as some of them require a period of time in which they must remain on the surface to kill bacteria and viruses. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not kill all pathogens. They should not be used if your hands are visibly soiled, after using the bathroom, or before eating. Soap and water are far more effective for killing and removing germs, as long as you use proper technique. The CDC has a fact sheet for when and how to use hand sanitizer vs. handwashing: https://www.cdc.gov/...itizer-factsheet.pdf
For bike fitters, we strongly recommend that you ask your clients about a current or past history of communicable diseases. We also recommend the use of an infrared thermometer to check for fever without having to have physical contact. We recommend rescheduling fit appointments if your client is sick, which may prevent you from getting sick. Before and after every client, you should wash your hands with soap and water. You should also wash your hands after doing mechanical work on a bike. If you are using a table for examinations, it should be disinfected after each exam. We recommend table paper in addition to disinfecting between clients. Remember that these precautions are done for your protection as well as your clients’.
Happy Freedman
Bike Fitter, Hospital for Special Surgery
Andrea Myers, PT, DPT
Board Certified Orthopedic Specialist
Bike Fitter, Class Cycles
Anne Barnes
ABBikefit, Ltd
FIST/SICI/FIST DOWN DEEP
X/Y Coordinator
abbikefit@gmail.com