It is that time of the year again ‘Cold and Flu’ season is upon us once again! It’s often said that regardless of whether it is fact or fiction at this time of year is when people start to drop like 10 pins! There is probably no stopping colds & flu taking their toll within the workplace but there are some things that can be done to minimise the risk of a widespread outbreak.
Here are our top tips this winter for reducing the risks of widespread infection:
Consider increasing the frequency of cleaning over the period
If you currently only clean weekly then consider introducing a midweek clean. Another service could be the difference between keeping staff healthy & at work & not.
Provide sanitisers for hand hygiene
Eliminating contamination via contact with surfaces can be a very effective way to reduce the risk of widespread infection. Good quality hand sanitisers will generally kill 99.9% of infectious bacteria (can’t quite nail that other .1%). Placed strategically through the office and encouraging staff to use these products, is a great way to reduce the risk
Surface cleaning with sanitising wipes
There are a large range of sanitising wipes available that will work nicely in between your regular cleaning services, to sanitise those ‘communal surfaces’ like phones, door handles and kitchen appliances.
Sanitising Crockery & Cutlery
Generally, the washing of kitchen items in the workplace is handled poorly. Water is rarely hot enough to kill the bugs and in most cases items are just rinsed and put away in a contaminated condition. The best bet is the use of a dishwasher operating and cleaning as per the manufacturers’ specifications but if that isn’t the case ensure that items are being washed thoroughly in ‘hot water’ and rinsed thoroughly before drying. Oh yeah, the lunchroom tea towel can also be a haven for some really nasty stuff. There are also some very affordable disposable options for drying items in the lunchroom.
There are plenty of measures in addition to tips the above that you can implement to reduce the risk of an outbreak but if you tackle the easy options then that will go a long way to getting through the Cold & Flu season.