A clean workplace can promote productivity, satisfaction and a stronger culture among employees. However, one unclean hand can undermine all of this in just a few days.
A recent study uncovered the impact of hand hygiene on employee absenteeism— researchers found that a standard office desk harbors 10 million bacteria, 400 times the amount of germs than a toilet seat. After testing 4,800 surfaces in office buildings, researchers found that the dirtiest surfaces include: keyboards, refrigerator doors, microwaves, and sink-faucets.
The Importance of Office Cleanliness
In August 2018, a food service employee at the Newport Syndicate events center was working while ill, and was subsequently diagnosed with hepatitis A. The Northern Kentucky Health Department urges all residents who consumed food or drink at the events center to get a vaccination and wash their hands frequently and thoroughly.
OSHA standard 1910.141 requires places of employment like the Newport Syndicate to be kept clean. In order to prevent this from ever happening again, all companies should keep floors should be dry and clear of hazardous objects, and waste should be disposed of on a regular basis. Vermin and other pests should be prevented from sneaking into cracks in the wall or air vents—check last month’s blog post all about this topic.
Corporate cleaning services can cost you upwards to $50 to $100 an hour, so educating your staff about hand hygiene and office cleanliness procedures is a better way to boost productivity and improve office cleaning etiquette in your office. U.S. Standard Products offers an array of cleaning products for industrial and janitorial applications; this includes a full line of environmentally-friendly cleaning products. Read about these green products here. In order to successfully achieve a clean office, it’s best to come up with your own office cleaning procedures. Here are the five basic steps to keep in mind when writing your procedures, along with some cleaning products we recommend that you should use:
1. Wash Your Hands
It only takes contagious germs two to four hours to spread onto most surfaces in an office building, so it’s important to keep your distance with sick employees and wash your hands regularly and thoroughly.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and OSHA recommend people wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and clean water. U.S. Standard Products offers hand soaps such as the Delight Foaming Hand Soap to keep your hands clean and moisturized.
2. Throw Away Trash
Break rooms and office kitchens are frequent homes for germs. Foods should be properly packed, and any expired or moldy foods should be disposed of immediately. Make sure they are handled in a way that does not leak or spill on the floor. Custodians should also change trash bins out regularly.
It is important to regularly tidy and organize your desk. Throw away unnecessary and unused papers, notes, wash dishes, silverware and mugs thoroughly. USSP offers dishwashing detergents such as DW 131 Dishwashing Liquid. Even the smallest amount provides maximum cleaning action.
3. Dust Off Your Equipment
Over time, your items and equipment on your desk will collect dust particles and debris containing microbes and germs, which can irritate the eyes and nose, cause dry skin, and trigger allergies.
Use sanitizing wipes to sweep dust off telephones, desktop monitors, printers and other electronic devices. Dust control products from USSP such as D-Dust and Magic Mist are ideal for surfaces and air dusters can also be used to blow our dust from between your keyboard.
4. Wipe Any Surfaces
Most surfaces in the office also collect dust and house germs, thanks largely to cross contamination. Disinfectants such as USSP’s Clean & Shine Neutral can effectively kill germs when used on desks, tabletops, and counters. To prevent physical contact with chemical solutions and avoid constant hand-washing while scrubbing, try wearing rubber gloves.
5. Scrub the Floor
Bacteria is the most abundant in soil and dirt, which can be spread around the office right under your heels. Carpet cleaning products such as Float Away Neutral pH Extraction Cleaner can remove soils, dirt, stains, and spills from carpeting and upholstery. Be sure to sweep or vacuum any food crumbs or litter as soon as possible.
Enforcing office cleaning procedures will help you maintain a clean workplace and provide a positive social environment for you and your employees. However, knowing is only half the battle, unless you get the right products. Start exploring your industrial cleaning options by downloading our free catalogue or calling 844-877-1700. To stay up-to-date on the latest in workplace safety news and trends, follow US Standard Products on social media: Google+ | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook