Workplace hygiene remains a hot topic. The global Covid-19 pandemic only emphasized the need to maintain top hygiene measures to curb infections. A single ill employee can make the entire workplace a hotspot of illnesses. Workplace infections pose significant hiccups, including:
- Higher absenteeism rates
- Increased production costs due to affected productivity
- More expenses considering the medical cover
- Higher turnover rates, especially if employees deem the environment toxic
When you think about workplace hygiene, what comes to mind? For most people, the most notable germs hotspots are the bathroom and garbage disposal since that is where most expect to be the most unclean. These are the common places you will find hand sanitizer bottles aimed at minimizing germs spread, but they are not the only hotspots.
While organizations continue to adopt more measures, including investing in innovative White Umbrella air sterilizer, knowing the top germs hotspots can help you lower infections’ spread. Here is a glance at some of the overlooked germs hotpots in the workplace.
Door handles
How many doors do you open/close in a day at the workplace? You sanitize after you go to the restroom, but how about after opening the refrigerator, coming out of an office, or storage room, using the elevator (elevator buttons), or when you shut the door to keep noises down?
Everyone in the workplace, including guests, uses the door handles; the more the people, the more the germs varieties. Washing your hands regularly and asking the cleaning service to disinfect the door handles can help minimize the germs.
Office equipment
The list is long: telephone, computer, keyboard and mouse, printer, water cooler, coffee maker, pot, and mugs. You hardly think about cleaning the spaces, especially since your focus is on the task at hand. The keyboard, for example, takes a significant blow. You sneeze, spill over, and handle it when eating, leaving traces of sticky food. This creates a great germs environment, making it a hotspot of germs. A quick hack that can help minimize the germs is placing sanitizing wipes nearby. They can remind users to wipe the equipment after use.
Kitchen sponge
The sponge seems like a great solution to get rid of dirt, but the wet absorbent tool is a germs hotspot. The wet environment provides an optimum environment to nurture the germs. The kitchen sponge is loaded with bacteria like salmonella within a few days.
The worst part is that most people don’t give it as much attention and, as they use the sponge, spread the germs to other areas, for example, coffee mugs. Replacing the kitchen sponge, ideally, every two weeks can help minimize the germs. You can also use Hacks such as placing it in the microwave for about two minutes; this kills the germs.
Light switches
When last did you sanitize after switching the lights on/off or wipe the switch? It is an overlooked germs hotspot, especially as it takes a second and minimal physical contact. Nonetheless, the many fingers touching the switch throughout the week leave significant germs that can spread to other areas.
That’s among the top reasons more organizations like medical facilities and laboratories continue to invest in innovative illumination technology. This includes motion sensors and lighting solutions that also offer disinfection capabilities, for example, UV-C LED lights. The automation eliminates physical contact, keeping germs accumulation and spread low.
Stationery
The digital age is not as reliant on paper and pen, but they still play a role in the modern workplace. The stationery is a germs hotpot, especially as they look clean, and you can easily get comfortable around them, assuming they are harmless. How often do you borrow a pen/highlighter and even put it in your mouth?
Imagine the hands that have handled such stationery and the spaces they have come into contact with, including keyboards. Office stationery collects germs, and since they are hardly cleaned, they accumulate and spread from one person to the next.
When in the workplace, don’t assume the bathroom and garbage cans are the dirtiest spaces loaded with all sorts of germs. The keyboard you use daily could be the main hotspot. Maintain proper hygiene measures, including wiping the spaces and regularly cleaning your hands with running water and soap. Workplace health requires teamwork, giving the little things some attention to keep hygiene at its best, and investing in innovative solutions like air purifiers to improve air quality.