Push-to-Talk Two-Way Radio Cleaning Tips During Covid-19

COVID-19 is making everyone very aware of protecting themselves from germs they can come in contact with on a daily basis and practicing good hygiene. With the latest COVID-19 plan through the government, many businesses are back to operations or are starting to gear up for their employees to return to work. However, this presents many challenges, including how employees will be able to safely communicate.

Two-way radios, like PeakPTT push-to-talk radios, offer an effective solution for many companies, and can help reduce or eliminate the need for face-to-face interactions.

While push to talk two way radios offer a great non-face-to-face communication option, it’s essential to have a clear strategy in place to keep two-way technology and accessories clean and disinfected, since germs can still be spread by sharing equipment like this.

Looking after your employees’ hygiene practices and proper cleaning and disinfecting of the two-way radio technology and accessories is a critical step in keeping them safe. Below is a guide you can follow to keep two-way radio technology and accessories clean and disinfected.

Assigning of Individual Radios and Accessories

When possible, you should assign your team members individual radios that nobody else will use. You can place radio identifier stickers on each radio to help with this.

You should also personally assign accessories if possible, particularly audio accessories.

Some accessories may include:

• Chargers
• Double-Muff and Lightweight headsets
• Noise-canceling speaker microphones
• Earpieces and surveillance kits

 Cleaning and Sanitizing Two-Way Radios and Accessories

Here are some general cleaning and sanitizing instructions for two-way radios and accessories:

 General Cleaning

To clean radios and accessories:

• Apply 0.5% water-detergent solution to a clean cloth.
• Use a non-metallic, stiff, short-bristled brush for working loose dirt away from the equipment.
• Use an absorbent, soft, lintless tissue or cloth for removing the solution and rying the equipment.
• Ensure no solution stays entrapped near any cracks, connectors or crevices.

Disinfecting

To disinfect radios and accessories:

• Wipe down equipment with a rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) with a minimum of 70% alcohol concentration.
• Avoid applying isopropyl alcohol directly to the push-to-talk radio equipment.
• Apply isopropyl alcohol to a cloth and then wipe the push-to-talk device with the cloth.
• Don’t use solvents, bleach or cleaning sprays for cleansing or disinfecting.
• Be aware that some chemical’s effects and their vapors can have an effect on metal platings and plastics.

You can also buy a two-way radio and accessory cleaning kit which are designed for shielding and protecting two-way radio users from being exposed inadvertently to possibly harmful pathogens such as COVID-19.  They are designed for protecting employees from 99.9% of all germs, bacteria and viruses that could collect on radio devices and accessories before being passed from one crew member to the next.