CS 316346-C 04/23/2020

What Airline Workers Need to Know about COVID-19

As airport custodial staff, how can I

protect myself?

As an airport custodial staff, while the general risk 

remains low, potential sources of exposure could include 

handling solid waste or cleaning public facilities (such 

as waste bins, tables, chairs, basins, toilets) with which 

a person with COVID-19 has interacted or by touching 

your mouth, nose, or eyes.

• Wear disposable gloves during such custodial job

duties. Carefully remove and discard gloves after use,

and immediately wash your hands or use

hand sanitizer.

• Practice routine cleaning and disinfection of

frequently touched surfaces (such as tables,

doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, faucets)

throughout the day. Follow the directions on the

cleaning product’s label.

• Limit close contact with others by maintaining a

distance of at least 6 feet, when possible.

• Conduct routine laundering of work

clothes/uniform.

• Proper hand hygiene (https://www.cdc.gov/

handwashing/index.html)is an important infection

control measure. Wash your hands regularly with

soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and

water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based

hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.

• Key times to clean hands in general include:

» Before, during, and after preparing food

» Before eating food

» After using the toilet

» After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing

• Additional times to clean hands on the job include:

» Before and after work shifts

» Before and after work breaks

» After completing custodial tasks and

removing gloves

» After putting on, touching, or removing cloth

face coverings

cdc.gov/coronavirus

AIRPORT CUSTODIAL STAFF

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a 

respiratory illness caused by a virus called

SARS-CoV-2. Symptoms often include a 

fever, cough, or shortness of breath. Our 

understanding of how the virus spreads 

is evolving as we learn more about it, so 

check the CDC website (https://www.cdc.gov/

coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/howcovid-spreads.html) for the latest information.

The virus is thought to spread mainly from

person-to-person:

Between people who are in close contact

with one another (within about 6 feet).

Through respiratory droplets produced

when an infected person coughs, sneezes,

or talks.

Recent studies indicate that the virus can be spread by 

people before they develop symptoms (pre-symptomatic) 

or who never develop symptoms (asymptomatic). It 

also may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by 

touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and 

then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their 

eyes. However, this is not thought to be the main way the 

virus spreads. Older adults and people of any age who have 

serious underlying medical conditions may be at higher 

risk for more serious complications (https://www.cdc.gov/

coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-athigher-risk.html) from COVID-19.

CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings (https://

www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/

diy-cloth-face-coverings.html) in public settings where 

other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, 

especially in areas of significant community-based 

transmission. Cloth face coverings may prevent people 

who don’t know they have the virus from transmitting it 

to others. These face coverings are not surgical masks or 

respirators and are not appropriate substitutes for them in 

workplaces where masks or respirators are recommended 

or required.

6 ft

Accessible version: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/airport-custodial-staff.html
cdc.gov/coronavirus

As airport custodial staff, how can I

protect myself? (continued)

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with 

unwashed hands.

What steps should my employer take?

Your employer should develop a COVID-19 health and 

safety plan to protect employees. This plan should be 

shared with you and your coworkers. Your

employer should:

• Take steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 

if an employee is sick (https://www.cdc.gov/

coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-whensick.html). Actively encourage sick employees to 

stay home. Sick employees should not return to 

work until the criteria to discontinue home isolation 

are met (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-

ncov/hcp/disposition-in-home-patients.html), in 

consultation with healthcare providers and state 

and local health departments. 

• Provide information on who to contact if 

employees become sick. 

• Implement flexible sick leave and supportive 

policies and practices. Consider drafting nonpunitive emergency sick leave policies if sick leave 

is not offered to some or all employees. 

• Designate someone to be responsible for 

responding to COVID-19 concerns. Employees 

should know who this person is and how to

contact them.

• Provide employees with accurate information 

about COVID-19, how it spreads, and risk

of exposure.

• Provide training on proper hand washing (https://

www.cdc.gov/handwashing/index.html) practices 

and other routine infection control precautions. 

This will help prevent the spread of many diseases, 

including COVID-19.

• Provide employees with access to soap, clean 

running water, and drying materials or alcoholbased hand sanitizers containing at least 60% 

alcohol at their worksite. 

• Provide employees with appropriate gloves when 

necessary and provide training on properly

using them.

• Provide tissues and no-touch disposal receptacles 

for use by employees.

• Conduct frequent cleaning of employee break 

rooms, rest areas, and other common areas.

• Provide appropriate cleaning and disinfectant 

products. For disinfection, use products that 

meet EPA’s criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2

(https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/listn-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2), diluted 

household bleach solutions, or alcohol solutions 

with at least 70% alcohol, and are appropriate for 

the surface. Follow manufacturer’s directions

for use.

• Develop policies for worker protection and 

training according to OSHA standards for workers, 

particularly if new disinfection chemicals are 

introduced in the workplace for workers to use.

• Place posters that encourage staying home when 

sick (https://www.cdc.gov/nonpharmaceuticalinterventions/tools-resources/educationalmaterials.html), covering coughs and sneezes 

(https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/

etiquette/coughing_sneezing.html) and washing 

hands often (https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/

materials.html) at the entrance to the workplace 

and in other workplace areas where they are likely 

to be seen.

• Follow all applicable federal regulations and public 

health agency guidelines.

Where can I get more information?

Stay informed. Talk to your employer, supervisor, 

union representative, or airport personnel who are 

responsible for responding to COVID-19 concerns. 

See these sources for more information on reducing 

the risk of worker exposures to COVID-19:

CDC Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers 

to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 

2019 (COVID-19) website: https://www.cdc.gov/

coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidancebusiness-response.html

NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic website:

www.cdc.gov/niosh/emres/2019_ncov.html

CDC COVID-19 website:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/

OSHA COVID-19 website: www.osha.gov/SLTC/

covid-19/controlprevention.html

CDCINFO: 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) |

TTY: 1-888-232-6348 | website: https://wwwn.cdc.

gov/dcs/ContactUs/Form