Avoiding the ‘Office Outbreak’
Steve Nurdin, Marketing Manager at Cannon Hygiene, outlines three steps to consider in the battle against seasonal viruses.
Making sure doormats are regularly laundered can help reduce the spread of dust and dirt from outside. Vacuuming only removes 10% of dirt and mats can quickly become clogged and ineffective if they are not thoroughly cleaned. This is even more important in offices where people frequently move around between their desks and collaboration areas.
3: Invisible dangers, automatic solutions
Many people spend eight hours or more in the same building from Monday to Friday. Flexible working practices, such as hotdesking, also mean staff share the same working spaces and equipment. Once one person falls ill, the virus can easily spread like wildfire throughout the entire office.
The challenge of ensuring bugs don’t dampen productivity is becoming increasingly tough. According to the Met Office, the spread of viruses, including the flu and norovirus, is likely to increase during the colder months. In fact, there were 95 new acute respiratory outbreaks, including rhinovirus and influenza, between 11 October and 15 November, according to Public Health England’s latest Influenza Reports.
If facilities managers don’t take precautions, sickness can quickly lead to a fall in productivity. Creating robust hygiene strategies is one way of tackling this problem.
1: The germ hotspot
Washrooms have the highest footfall in most buildings and are hubs for germs. While you’d hope people would wash
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their hands to prevent the spread of bugs, it’s not always the case.
For those businesses with hotdesking policies, germs like E. coli and norovirus can rapidly spread across an entire building as many people share the same working spaces and equipment throughout the day. Encouraging good handwashing practices is key in preventing this. In fact, excellent hand hygiene reduces the spread of respiratory illnesses, such as colds, by up to 21%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Of course, having reliable systems in place are the basics of getting this right. Automated dispensers fitted with high quality antibacterial soap ensure the right amount is distributed and good quality dryers can make sure staff effectively dry their hands. This can be a crucial first step because damp hands spread 1,000 times more germs than dry ones.
2: Attention to detail
Better hygiene practices will make little difference in preventing the spread of bacteria if the simplest daily cleaning tasks are overlooked.
There are other less-visible threats, too. Airborne germs are some of the easiest to transmit, and the hardest to prevent. And, poor indoor air quality can also lead to the rapid spread of illnesses and quickly deplete a workforce. Think about the number of air conditioning units you have versus open windows, and whether germ filled air is being recirculated into the office.
For those with limited natural ventilation, technology is available that actively filters and cleans the air to kill bacteria and remove dust and pollen. There are also fragranced options to help keep premises smelling fresh throughout the day.
There is no silver bullet and facilities managers need to invest time to review an office layout before making a start to any hygiene strategy. Concentrating efforts around likely germ hotspots like collaboration hubs or hotdesks can make a significant difference.
Meanwhile, it’s even more important to address areas like receptions and washrooms given bacteria in these areas can spread far and wide – especially during the colder months when infection rates rise.
www.cannonhygiene.com
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