How to Keep Germs from Spreading in a Workplace
In the workplace, common places create an ideal surface for germ growth. Whether it’s viruses, bacteria, or pesky microbes, they can provoke illnesses in the entire facility. Keeping in mind that about 80% of illnesses are a result of spread by contact, it pays to be clean. It’s even more essential to maintain the surfaces at work germ-free, especially during flu season.
Luckily, you can prevent the spread of germs and illnesses in the workplace through proper hygiene. If you’re in contact with multiple people during working hours, consider washing your hands. Also, surface disinfection is a vital step to take. And for the ultimate protection of everyone at the working facility, then hiring a commercial cleaning service is essential. That said, here are steps on how to keep germs from spreading in a workplace:
- Washing Hands
Washing hands is an integral part of great hygiene. It’s also one of the primary ways of curbing the spread of germs in the working area. From handshakes to touching items and surfaces all over the place, there are several ways germs can spread. But since they all involve spread by contact, washing hands it’s the best remedy. Spare at least 20seconds to wash your hands thoroughly, including front, back, between fingers, and nails.
- Maintain Personal Workspace Clean
Besides keeping the entire office clean to prevent germs from spreading, maintaining a personal workspace clean is also necessary. Personal workplace items like desks, keyboards, laptops, and others have a reputation for harboring germs daily.
Therefore, it’s important to have a disinfectant you can use to clean these items and surfaces your touch daily. Further, if you’re close to the windows, allow sufficient fresh air in. As mentioned earlier, you can have a desk hand sanitizer to clean your hands after touching contaminated surfaces.
- Clean Surfaces
Common surfaces like the office telephone, door handles, tables, and countertops offer refuge to countless microbes. And when any staff member is sick, they become a hot spot for spreading the illness, especially if it’s the flu.
Therefore, it’s important to investigate such surfaces and employ a disinfection mechanism to maintain them clean. In your search, remember to consider the break room. Using alcohol-based wipes or rubbing alcohol can help eliminate at least 90% of these germs.
- Sick Leave
As an employer, you need to be considerate. If you’re ill, it’s important to take a few days home to recover. The same applies to your employees, if any of them are feeling unwell, then provide them with sick leave. Because it’s better for one ill staff to be absent than having the entire workspace full of sick employees.
Also, everyone must exercise personal hygiene and the right behavior when they’re unwell. For instance, one must only cough after covering their mouth plus nose. Thereafter, dispose of tissue and wipes after use in the right place.
And if you don’t have a tissue, cough into your sleeves. Every time you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, ensure you wash them. And if you detect flu symptoms earlier, request sick leave before spreading it on surfaces and among your colleagues.
Final Take
As an employer or manager, it’s important to take necessary measures to curb the spread of germs and protect everyone. While hiring in-house cleaners can work, that could cost more and still not guarantee effective disinfection.
However, you can partner with professional cleaners like Signature Maids. They have the expertise to offer all types of cleaning including disinfection. Whether it’s a small office space or a large facility like hotels, hospitals, or malls, they’ll manage it effectively.
