Office environments can often be a breeding ground for germs to spread and bacteria to grow.
To prevent germs from spreading and in light of the current situation, the world finds itself in, regular office cleaning must be carried out and carried out to a high standard.
The focus should be on building a healthy environment, promoting good hygiene practices, boosting immune systems, and having a positive effect on mental well-being.
Research from the US has highlighted that when someone is sick at work, it can take just 4 hours for traces of the virus to show up on door handles, kettles, desk surfaces, and more!
Sickness can spread through an office at lightning speed, with people using the same facilities, sharing equipment, etc.
However, we understand that staff absenteeism for businesses can pose big and costly problems.
And we also understand you can’t keep your office clean 100% of the time, but there are some steps you could implement to help reduce the chances of spreading and to help keep your teams healthy.
How to prevent germs from spreading
When it comes to cleaning, it’s recommended to both clean and disinfect to limit your exposure to germs and viruses.
This is because cleaning doesn’t necessarily kill bacteria, it simply moves it, whereas disinfectant kills bacteria and germs but doesn’t remove them – hence the reason why ideally you need both!
Areas to consider:
Clean your office space – focus on the biggest touchpoints in the office, things such as fax machines, printers, kettles, phones, door handles, etc. These major touchpoints should be wiped cleaned regularly with appropriate disinfectant.
Can staff work from home? – Working from home is becoming more of the norm due to the flexibility it can provide; it can also help keep germs away from the office too!
Promote good hygiene practices; for example, you could provide employees with a box of tissues, place hand washing signs in bathrooms and kitchen areas. Make readily available antibacterial wipes in communal rooms, reception areas, etc.
It’s vitally important to also stay at home if you’re feeling unwell, and all members of staff should be actively encouraged to stay at home if they too feel under the weather. It’s also completely socially acceptable to tell people you have a cold so won’t be shaking their hand – trust us, they won’t be offended and often prefer to know!
Play your part by providing staff with:
Hand sanitisers. Either individually placed on each workstation or at major points such as entrance and exit ways, bathrooms, etc.
Informative signage. Posting facts about the spread of germs and changing these weekly can help to grab people’s attention and ensure everyone does the right thing when it comes to health and hygiene.
Correct PPE (if appropriate). Basic workplace wellness items can make a huge difference in staff morale and productivity.
Make sure to check and also consider:
Air quality. With air conditioners and heating systems, it’s important to check on what you’re pushing out into the open air.
Make sure to clean air ducts and vents regularly and placing plants around the office is a great way to help improve air quality too.
Increasing vacuuming routines (especially now).
Desks are clean and tidy and become part of the daily clean. Especially as research shows, your average desk and keyboard can harbor more germs than your average toilet seat!
Prevent germs in the office spreading by ensuring everyone:
- Covers their nose and mouth when they sneeze or cough
- Washes their hands regularly.
- Avoids touching their face and then going on to touch door handles, light switches, etc
- Dispose of tissues immediately – catch it, bin it, kill it.
- Should have a clean workspace. Mess and clutter can be a breeding ground for germs and bacteria to live.
- Should avoid eating at their desk, or if you do, place a paper towel down first to catch any stray crumbs!
Keeping your office environment clean should be everyone’s responsibility, and everyone should play their part.
Now more than ever, everyone’s attention is focused on how we can create healthier workplaces.
With the current pandemic and Covid19 sweeping across the world, we must update our cleaning schedules, as we take cleaning a continued step further.
Let Clear Choice be part of the successful solution.
With professional cleaning teams geared up and ready to get to work on your commercial premises, give us a call 01132 711 432.
Read the next article: Both commercial and residential cleaning is important
Reference video: The Office
