8
ways ways to to
keep a healthy workplace
Best practice guide
Fresh thinking in cleaning
TM
Since 1994 Julius Rutherfoord has built a reputation as London’s most professional and reliable contract cleaning company.
•
20 years’ experience of commercial cleaning
•
300 clients across London
•
Most thorough staff security vetting in the industry
In 2013 our head office in Battersea won the 2013 Kimberly-Clark Golden Service Award for the UK’s • healthiest workplace. • The work undertaken to win this prestigious award • forms the basis from which we have written this guide - to help you to improve your workplace well-being.
Fully accredited staff training academy Always embracing innovation and new technology Winners of the Healthy Workplace award
Contact us: Telephone:
or email us:
or visit :
020 7819 6700
bestpractice@julius-r.co.uk
www.julius-r.co.uk
find us on
The business bill for being ill Good health is good for business. It is no surprise that having
By following our ‘8 ways to keep a healthy workplace’ guide
healthy staff in your organisation leads to lower absenteeism,
your business can reduce the likelihood of staff absence and
improved productivity, increased morale and better staff
cross-infection, whether from seasonal flu, norovirus or the
retention. Getting workplace well-being right is essential for
common cold.
today’s businesses that are striving for growth in a challenging economic environment. It is therefore essential to prevent the disruption caused by absenteeism and its impact on the balance sheet. A short-term absence from minor illness is the most common cause of absence. This guide reveals some shocking facts about the spread of infection in the workplace and outlines practical steps that business owners, facilities managers and those with responsibility for business operations can take to improve workplace well-being.
Fast fact:
Sick days cost UK business £29 billion each year – PwC research, 2013
Step 1: Clean your tech
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Modern technology is redefining the way we work. Many of us
Phones, laptops and tablet computers should be cleaned
use laptops, tablets and smart phones, and because of the
using specially formulated cleaning wipes that are designed
frequent contact with our hands and proximity to our faces,
to clean hi-tech devices without damaging the electronics
germs are easily transferred to them.
or screens. These can be distributed throughout the office to
Using an ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) reader we identified that employees’ mobile phones can carry up to 18 times
encourage staff to keep their tech clean and reduce contamination.
more bacteria than a toilet seat. Employees need to be aware of the issue and have the resources to clean this equipment.
ways to Fast fact:
Computer keyboards can harbour more harmful bacteria than a toilet - Which? research 2008
Step 2: Don’t eat at your desk When’s the last time you had a proper lunch break? Too often we eat at our desks whilst answering emails or report writing, because we feel too busy to stop. So what’s the problem with working through lunch? Crumbs accumulate on desks and in the cracks of keyboards. This helps to feed high levels of bacteria - it’s been reported that a typical office desk can harbour more than 6,000 bacteria per square inch. This is clearly unacceptable when restaurants with surfaces that contain more than 700 bacteria per square inch are considered unsanitary. These unhygienic conditions encourage the growth of bacteria which can lead to sickness absenteeism. Companies, where possible, should provide dining facilities and encourage staff to take a break at lunchtime. This will have the added benefit of boosting concentration levels and productivity
Fast fact:
More than half of office workers regularly work through their lunch hour – BBC poll, 2013
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Step 3: Promote a healthy work culture
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A healthy workplace isn’t just about managing germs.
Boost employee well-being by providing fresh fruit, water
Often staff retention, well-being, motivation and productivity
dispensers for hydration, corporate gym membership and a
can be increased through a more holistic approach to your
shower to encourage people to cycle to work. Reduce stress
working culture.
levels by offering flexible working options, such as home-
It’s important to ensure the fundamental working conditions such as ventilation, temperature, lighting, cleanliness, space, workstations and seating are in place, however there are other measures you can take to create a more progressive and healthy working culture:
Fast fact:
56% of employers found that absenteeism dropped after they adopted flexible working practices – CIPD research 2012
working, different shift patterns or flexi-time. Organisations benefit from this too, as studies have shown that flexible working is directly linked to improved business performance.
Step 4: Stay at home when sick Too often staff come into work when they are sick, spreading their germs and making others ill. Sickness presence (presenteeism) can adversely affect general staff morale and contribute to longer recovery periods from illness. A recent Work Foundation report found that employees with higher levels of sickness presence had significantly lower performance scores compared with those with lower levels of sickness presence. Staff who are ill should be required to stay at home until the symptoms disappear to reduce the risk of cross infection at work and help keep new cases of sickness to a minimum.
Fast fact:
Nearly two in three employees have attended work while feeling ill in 2013 – research from business psychology company Robertson Cooper
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Step 5: Wash your hands
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Regular hand-washing is essential to prevent the spread of
Employers must provide hand washing facilities, with running
germs. Bacteria and viruses can be passed from person
hot and cold water, soap and ideally paper hand towels.
to person by hand contact or by touching contaminated
Posters near sinks will help remind staff to wash their hands whilst
surfaces such as door handles or on public transport. Staff
pocket-sized hand sanitisers can be used if hand-washing
should wash their hands after their daily commute, before
facilities aren’t available, for example when commuting.
and after lunch, and always after using the toilet. Hands should be washed with soap and warm water. Rinsing hands with water alone is much less effective than using soap as pathogens lodge in the natural oils of our hands. Drying is just as important, as any wetness will aid the transfer of bacteria that’s on the hands.
Fast fact:
A virus on one person’s hands can be transferred up to six times - The Healthy Workplace Project, Kimberly-Clark Professional
Step 6: Keep germ hotspots clean
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Some of the most inconspicuous but commonly touched surfaces can get overlooked. Frequently used objects such as lift buttons, kettles, microwaves and door handles present the greatest threat of germs spreading. Harmful bacteria can live on these surfaces for up to 48 hours, exposing more people to the risk of infection as they come into contact with these areas. This makes cleaning and hand hygiene even more important. An experienced cleaning team will know where these hotspots are likely to occur and the importance of thoroughly cleaning them daily. This reduces the spread of infection leading to a healthier workplace.
Fast fact:
A kitchen sink typically contains 100,000 times more germs than a toilet seat - NHS and Hygiene Council, 2012
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11 GG
Step 7: Clean with colour coded equipment Bacteria is easily spread around the workplace, yet not
Yellow - Healthcare use
everyone is aware of the importance of using different
Red - general washrooms
cleaning equipment in different areas. You wouldn’t want
Blue - general lower risk areas
the same cloths that are used to clean washrooms to also
Red and White - Sanitary appliances
be used to clean kitchen surfaces. Mops, buckets, brooms
Green - general food and bar use
and cloths should be colour coded for use in designated
White - bespoke or site specific
areas to reduce the risk of cross contamination. If buildings are not cleaned correctly, outbreaks of infection can occur. Cleaning of facilities should be frequent, thorough and follow national guidelines. Make sure your cleaning organisation uses colour-coded equipment and is accredited to British Institute of Cleaning Science approved standards.
Fast fact:
71% of workers believe dirty office spaces have made them ill in the past – Durable UK, 2011
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Step 8: Provide tissues and hand sanitiser Staff should always have access to tissues for when they cough or sneeze, and bins in which they can throw the tissues away immediately after use. If staff don’t have a tissue to hand, coughing or sneezing into the elbow will prevent germs being released into the air and onto hands. Providing hand sanitising gel or foam dispensers in convenient or key locations such as kitchen areas or near entrances and exits offers protection against a range of bacteria, yeasts and viruses, killing up to 99.999% of microorganisms that can cause infections or illness. Ensure your employees have access to appropriate hand hygiene products, which can take a significant step towards minimising workplace absenteeism.
Fast fact:
When you cough germs can travel about three metres if you do not put your hand or a tissue over your nose and mouth – Health Protection Agency
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Summary As a cleaning provider, Julius Rutherfoord recognises the importance of staff well-being, particularly as it is proven that staff who work in a welcoming, accessible, comfortable and clean environment are much more likely to perform at their best. We believe in leading by example so we’ve challenged ourselves to make the Julius Rutherfoord head office one of the healthiest places to work in the UK. This ambitious programme led to the creation of the Julius Rutherfoord Healthy Workplace Initiative, which we have initiated with the support of Kimberly-Clark. We’ve introduced innovative ways to increase workplace well-being for our staff and clients, for example by developing a mobile phone cleaning wipe designed specifically to clean high-tech devices. By looking at the workplace as a whole, companies can do a vast amount to improve the well-being of their employees and reduce the incidence of workplace illness.
We think very differently to other cleaning companies. At Julius Rutherfoord we apply the latest business management strategies, technology, and innovation towards our cleaning. We call this “Fresh thinking in cleaning™” and it’s precisely this that has led to our own head office becoming the winner of the 2013 Kimberly-Clark, Golden Service Award for the UK’s
Telephone:
most healthy workplace.
020 7819 6700 or email us:
So if you want “Fresh thinking in cleaning™” at your office,
bestpractice@julius-r.co.uk
and are looking for a professional and trustworthy cleaning
or visit :
contractor in London, we think you should give us a call.
www.julius-r.co.uk
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find us on
Julius Rutherfoord & Co Ltd, 12 Ingate Place, Battersea, London, SW8 3NS Telephone:
or email us:
or visit :
020 7819 6700
bestpractice@julius-r.co.uk
www.julius-r.co.uk
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