(
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/england-to-return-to-plan-a-following-the-success-of-the-booster-programme)
(
https://gov.wales/new-rules-wales-21-january-2022-coronavirus-easy-read) (
https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/),
(
https://www.honeywell.com/us/en/press/2021/1/honeywell-survey-reveals-68-of-surveyed-workers-do-not-feel-completely-safe-in-their-buildings)
Return to work
Jamie Woodhall, UK Technical and Innovation Manager at Initial Washroom Hygiene, discusses the post-pandemic washroom.
Following the Government's announcement to end Plan B restrictions in England, introduced to combat the Omicron variant, workers now look set to return en masse to office buildings, although the end of work from home advice does not mean that we are out of the woods yet.
Colder temperatures typically bring an increase in the reported cases of illnesses like flu and norovirus, as we tend to spend more time indoors with the windows closed. So, whilst this move back to Plan A in England, as well as restrictions easing inWales and Scotland, is a step closer to normality and undoubtedly a positive, the transition brings with it certain challenges.
Office hygiene appears to be at the forefront of employees’ minds, with a recent survey of 2000 office workers conducted by Honeywell revealing that a staggering majority of the global workforce (68%) do not feel completely safe in their employer’s buildings, while one in four remote workers (23%) state that they would rather look for a new job than return to one that did not implement necessary safety measures.
These findings point to wider anxieties surrounding public hygiene. Rentokil Initial, for example, carried out research (conducted by Opinium LLP) in March 2021, which revealed that a majority (68%) of Brits believe that businesses and employers need to do more to ensure clean air circulates in their premises, while 62% went so far to say that air purification systems should be mandatory in public buildings.
So, what does this heightened trepidation mean for the washroom? Viruses are typically transmitted in three ways: person-to-person, surface-to-person and air-to-person. Washrooms are often smaller spaces with several shared touchpoints and limited airflow, so are a high-risk area for all
62 | WASHROOM HYGIENE
three types of transmission – and, if not diligently managed, they possess the potential to become hotspots for germs and harmful pathogens.
In order to help suppress the spread of Coronavirus and other common viruses, we would recommend the following to help minimise risk and help ensure a safe return to the office.
1
Clean air Indoor air quality is not something that’s likely to be
forgotten once we are on the other side of this pandemic. Washrooms in particular are difficult spaces to ventilate, often having limited access to fresh air, with many possessing no windows at all. Given the emphasis on the airborne transmission of viruses over the last two years, taking measures to improve indoor air quality is likely to make workers feel more reassured as they return to their offices.
Air purification solutions can provide much needed assistance in the fight against the associated risks of airborne viruses and bacteria in indoor environments. One market solution, VIRUSKILLER, is proven to kill 99.9999% of viruses with a single air pass, including Coronavirus DF2 (a surrogate for Coronavirus), Adenovirus, Influenza and Polio.
Designed specifically for smaller areas, the 401 wall- mounted unit is perfect for washrooms. Like all units in the VIRUSKILLER range, it takes control of the airflow in the room when installed correctly, drawing contaminated air in from the ‘breathing zone’ and then releasing fresh, clean air back into the washroom.
As a distributor of VIRUSKILLER technology, Rentokil Initial is the official Specialist Hygiene Services Partner of The O2 Arena in London, and central to this unique agreement was
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