We all know the feeling of seeing your co-worker sneeze, sniffle, and cough throughout the workday. Gross, right? Sometimes, however, we are pressured to go to work even when we are feeling under the weather. Even though most of us can admit that we’ve done it, it is important to realize the negative effects this has on our office. If you think about it, you touch a variety of objects every day. From keyboards and calendars to door handles and faucets, there are numerous ways to spread disease. Germs are everywhere and especially in an office environment, where we spend a large amount of our time, they can be very harmful.
Some studies say that when a coworker comes to work when sick, their germs can cover over half of the office’s surfaces and be transmitted to half of the staff within just a few hours. Others found that phones had over 500x more germs per square inch than a toilet seat. These germs have various lifespans depending on the material they come into contact with. For example, germs live significantly shorter lives when on metal surfaces than on porous plastic surfaces.
WebMD claims the 6 dirtiest places in your office are:
- break room sink-faucet handles
- microwave door handles
- keyboards
- refrigerator door handles
- water fountain buttons
- vending machine buttons
Of course, one of the simplest ways to prevent the spread of germs is to encourage employees who are sick to stay home. Many companies choose to implement health and wellness programs to raise awareness. These programs should not only include information on sick days and prevention, but also access to more products such as hand sanitizer and tissues. To protect yourself, practice the proper hand washing procedures. Especially when considering how many times the average person touches their face per day, it is apparent that hands are a big threat to clean environments. You should also take notice of your personal space. Often times, companies focus on cleaning common areas and neglect cubicles and desks. You should sanitize this space, including phones and keyboards. This cleaning should be kept up throughout the year, not just during cold and flu season!
Our staff provides office cleaning services which help to prevent widespread illnesses. If your office is experiencing a pandemic, ServiceMaster TBS can help! Just send your staff home to rest and let us get to work! We have experience in battling widespread illness. We strive to reduce outbreaks with our deep cleaning services. We can perform detailed daily or emergency cleanings to help prevent:
- Flu
- C-diff
- MRSA
- Pneumonia
- E-coli
Call ServiceMaster TBS today to learn more!
