"Care should be taken to ensure that the
workplace washroom is clean, pleasant and
sufficiently comfortable and well-equipped."
because the dispensers combine brushed stainless steel fascias with a black trim to create an upmarket effect.
But such refinements are the icing on the cake, and it’s important to get the basics right first in any washroom. And according to our research, this is far from the case in many work environments.
A survey of 8,000 office workers in 17 cities worldwide commissioned by Essity a few years ago revealed that 40% of employees claimed the washrooms at work were often inadequately cleaned, and frequently ran out of soap and paper supplies. Around 12% of respondents also claimed to rarely or never use the toilet at work, with this figure rising to a massive 56% when the facilities were perceived to be unclean.
Avoiding the washrooms can have a number of bad outcomes. For example, it can lead to discomfort, a lack of concentration and health issues. And when people are shunning the washrooms they are also likely to be failing to wash their hands during the working day – a habit that could lead to the spread of infections and viruses along with higher levels of absenteeism and a loss of productivity.
Today’s offices potentially offer a greater risk of cross- contamination than those in the past because people rarely work in their own personal space these days. Instead they are seated in open-plan areas or are expected to ‘hot desk’, which entails having to share their workstation with others.
Frequent hand washing – particularly after using the washroom, before eating and after touching a potentially contaminated surface – is crucial in any shared space to keep us safe from infections and viruses. And in fact, our study showed a high level of concern about cross-contamination at work.
More than half the workers questioned said they often worried about being infected by unwell colleagues, while six out of 10 felt that working remotely would be good for their health. So, how can we tempt employees back into the washroom where they can freshen up, take time out and adhere to good hand hygiene practices?
According to our study, ‘pet hates’ among staff concerning office washrooms included blocked or dirty toilets, bad smells and a shortage of toilet paper or soap. A good air freshening system will alleviate the issue of bad smells, while the cleaning staff will take care of the other issues.
However, many workplace washrooms are serviced infre- quently – often only once a day – which means that issues
56 | WASHROOM HYGIENE
such as messy units and empty dispensers might easily be missed for
hours at a time. During this period, it is quite possible that the heavy use of the facilities will lead to them becoming untidy and off-putting.
High-capacity dispensers that control consumption are invaluable in such situations. Long-lasting soap cartridges will prevent the issue of messy soap spills on the units – a problem that often arises when bulk-fill soaps are installed. The Tork Foam Soap Dispenser, for example, comes in a sealed cartridge that eliminates spills. Each cartridge contains 2,500 shots of soap to ensure a long-lasting supply.
Tork PeakServe works well in particularly high-traffic workplace washrooms since it holds a sufficient number of towels to cater for more than 1,000 washroom visitors – 600 more than most other dispensers. It also delivers the paper seamlessly on a continuous roll which avoids the issue of ‘tabbing’ – corners of towels breaking off and being left to create a mess on the washroom floor.
And the Tork SmartOne Toilet Paper system also reduces run-outs since the dispenser is designed to give out only one sheet of paper at a time, cutting consumption by up to 40%. When less paper is used, the risk of blockages is reduced, bringing down costs and preventing the issue of toilet cubicles being out of action for long periods at a time.
In a large, busy office block where the cleaning staff need to cover a high number of washrooms, it makes good sense to provide a system that enables cleaners to monitor the washrooms remotely. For example, Tork EasyCube allows staff to check via a smartphone or tablet when a dispenser is running low or when a facility is experiencing particularly heavy traffic. This enables them to target the toilets where their services are needed most so that they can ensure the washrooms are kept clean and well-stocked at all times.
Office managers have a duty of care to provide the basics as far as toilet facilities are concerned. However, an attractive, well-appointed workplace washroom represents an added investment. But if this helps to boost staff morale, impress visitors, create a good impression on customers and prevent illnesses among staff, it is an investment that is definitely worth making.
www.tork.co.uk twitter.com/TomoCleaning
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