Life in the twenty-first century
Promoting workplace hygiene has never been more vital. Did you realize that our hands transfer 80% of all common infections? According to studies, the average person touches his or her face 23 times every hour. It is possible to contract an illness by touching our faces (especially our noses and lips) with unwashed hands.
Germs can easily spread due to the large number of germ-laden surfaces (fomites) that we touch on a regular basis. We now have many electronic gadgets, travel for work more frequently, and share common surfaces more frequently than ever before. These shared objects or materials are known as “fomites,” and they can spread infections and diseases within an office setting.
Infections spread through fomites in what ways?
The procedure is straightforward yet nerve-wracking. A pathogen is spread by contact with a contaminated surface. We then touch our faces without even recognizing it throughout the day. Coughing or sneezing can cause the pathogen to fall onto a surface, such as a phone or computer. This cycle continues indefinitely, and we normally go about our regular lives without even realizing it.
The dreadful reality
To help avoid the spread of illnesses, raising awareness and encouraging best practices about the importance of cleanliness in the workplace is critical. Office telephones have more than 25,000 germs per square inch and the average desk has 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat. In addition, keyboards and computer mice are two of the germiest surfaces in the office.
Clean
One of the most important activities for preventing the transmission of sickness is hand hygiene. However, despite its importance, many of us only wash our hands with a short splash and dash. We need to make a more conscious effort to clean our hands throughout the day, given the importance of hand hygiene during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The WHO recommends a six-step process to ensure that all surfaces of our hands are clean. This is one of the best defenses against respiratory infections, and it is primarily utilized in healthcare.
Prepare to fail and fail to prepare
Because prevention is vital, being ready for an epidemic or the cold and flu season inside your organization is critical to preventing the spread of diseases. Promoting proper hygiene in the workplace is a critical step that any company can take.
An excellent initial step is to make sure the office surfaces (fomites) are cleaned thoroughly and on a regular basis. It’s also a good idea to provide hand hygiene training. If all employees are aware of the proper way to wash their hands and the impact it can have, they will be more aware of the importance of practicing proper hand hygiene at critical times. Coughing and sneezing etiquette should also be taught as part of respiratory hygiene education.