HOW CLEAN IS YOUR OFFICE?

As people begin returning to work after a period of lockdown due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever that you are keeping your workplace clean.

Maintaining a healthy workforce is key for employers across the UK at all times but, during a pandemic, it is absolutely imperative. Since the beginning of the year we have heard the mantra ‘wash your hands and clean your surfaces’ repeated by government officials and scientists around the world. In the beginning this led to the mass panic-buying of cleaning products and a lot of empty supermarket shelves. Now, as we are adjusting to a ‘new normal’, anti-bacterial hand gel is the new handbag essential.

From colds and flu spread by coughs and sneezes, to cases of norovirus - an extremely infectious stomach bug - businesses would usually prepare for an increase in ailments during the colder seasons; but now businesses are facing a more infectious virus, one which has caused a global lockdown. Previously, employees on sick leave may have been off for one or two days, but now they will be off for an extended period of time.

“For small business owners, having just one employee off work due to illness can have a big impact on the day-to-day running of the business. Teams are at their most productive when everybody is healthy, happy and able to fulfil their roles,” explains Mike Davis, head of SME direct acquisition at AXA PPP healthcare.

Keeping your workplace clean is one way to reduce absenteeism, as viruses can spread quickly. A study by the University of Arizona in an 80-person office building found that one infected employee had left droplets of a (nonharmful) virus on more than half of the commonly touched surfaces in the office within four hours. In addition, half of the employees in the office with him had also become infected with at least one virus.

So, how can you ensure you are keeping your office as virus-free as possible?

TIPS TO KEEP YOUR OFFICE HEALTHY

Encourage sick leave Employers should reiterate to their staff the importance of self-isolating and not coming into work if they begin to develop symptoms of coronavirus. Creating a culture where presenteeism isn’t rewarded, but actively discouraged, is fundamental in keeping illness out of the office. Encouraging staff to take time off to recuperate when unwell is key to maintaining a healthy workforce. AXA PPP healthcare research recently found that nearly a third (32%) of bosses say they’d prefer employees to take time off sick rather than come to work ill. “Employers are encouraged to support their workers’ mental and physical health. Offering positive steps to promote wellbeing now will help support resilience in future,” says the medical director of AXA PPP healthcare’s health services, Dr Yousef Habbab.

Visual reminders Worryingly, before COVID-19, over a quarter (27%) of UK employees admitted to not washing their hands every time they visited the washroom, increasing the chance of germs and bacteria spreading across the workforce; now we are being encouraged to wash our hands every half an hour. Using reminders, such as posters, which are clearly displayed around the office, and especially in toilets, should help to prompt employees to wash their hands regularly, and for at least 20 seconds each time.

Kitchen rules If food is not stored correctly, or someone who is ill has touched a product, foods can become contaminated and cause food poisoning or illness. You should encourage employees to hygienically clean surfaces immediately after use, and clear crumbs and left over food, to keep germs at bay. Foot-operated bins are also better for hygiene because they reduce the risk of hands picking up germs when they touch the bin lid. Encouraging staff to bring in their own mugs and cutlery can also reduce the amount of sharing of utensils, which helps limit the chances for the virus to spread.

Banish dirty desks A recent study by GCC Facilities Management (GCCFM) revealed that 11% of office desks are never cleaned. A desk carries an average of 10 million germs over its surface, which is 400 times more than the average toilet seat. The same study from GCCFM also showed that 36% of our computer mice have never seen any kind of cleaning product. We touch our computer mice hundreds of times a day but, with over 1,600 germs per square inch, it may be time to start changing our cleaning habits.

“The findings show that desk cleanliness is easily neglected, despite the health risks that it carries and the knock-on effects it could have for businesses in terms of sickness, reduced capacity, and absences, explains Claire Maclean, managing director of GCC Facilities Management.

“More needs to be done to, firstly, raise awareness of the health risks that dirtier working surfaces can have amongst office workers and, secondly, businesses should take more action to ensure that their staff are working in a clean and healthy environment,”

Making sure cleaning products are readily available for use around the office, as well as anti-bacterial gel, is vital. It may be a good idea to implement dedicated cleaning times during the day to ensure everyone is cleaning their areas regularly enough; this way everyone is accountable for keeping their desk and devices disinfected.

It is now more important than ever that you are keeping yourself and your staff safe and well - and the best way to do this is by implementing stringent hygiene practices in your workplace. Following these tips should ensure you limit the risk of the virus spreading in your office.