Power sweeping is identified as an essential sanitation services as defined by the CDC and the U.S. federal government. Cleaner paved surfaces are safer paved surfaces, and this cleanliness affects us all as we go about our essential business during mandatory quarantine, lockdown, or stay at home orders to reduce COVID-19 infection transmissions.

Many property managers were initially unsure how to respond to the current COVID-19 crisis. Below are six critical reasons why continued services would be significantly safer and recommended course of action.

1. Essential businesses such as grocery stores, warehouse clubs, pharmacies, and other similar establishments have seen dramatic increase in sales due to panic buying and hoarding. This has created an increase of standard litter and debris than what is typically found in t he normal course of business.

2. There is a very real new problem: discarded PPE. Power sweeping companies around our nation are seeing unprecedented numbers of gloves, masks, and other Personal Protective Equipment in parking lots, street curbs, gutters, and drains. Sweeping removes these items to prevent a risk to public safety and our environment.

3. Concerns about the COVID-19 disease caused by the SARS-2 Cov 19 coronavirus have led to consumers wearing personal protective gear such as face masks and latex or nitrile gloves while performing essential tasks. They are also using significantly more paper towels, tissues, disinfectant wipes, and hand sanitizer products. Invariably, far too many of these items find their way onto parking lots or into gutters, thereby presenting a safety risk to others.

4. There is a serious potential risk to the environment if these items aren’t swept up and ultimately find their way via storm drains into our waterways and drinking water supplies.

5. These discarded PPE items are leaving parking lots and streets at risk for higher contamination and a stronger chance of contracting the virus. It is imperative that these discarded items be removed quickly and safely by trained professionals to help stop the continued spread of COVID-19.

6. Power Sweeping is the preferred CDC and U.S. Government approved essential sanitation best practice to safely remove and dispose of these potentially harmful items in a touch free fashion.

Our sweeping truck operators are hidden assets on the front lines of this pandemic along with many other essential behind the scenes workers. The next time you see a sweeping truck operator, thank them from a safe social distance for making our world cleaner and safer.

AC Sweeper and Maintenance continues to be an available resource to property managers and owners, municipalities and highway departments to help develop a power sweeping plan to maintain the appropriate level of sweeping services to ensure the optimal safety of your customers and community residents. The health and well-being of the general public demands nothing less.