We’ve mentioned before about the top unhygienic practices which staff tend to carry out in the office. One thing we touched on in that article was the fact that a survey has recently revealed that more than 3 in 5 people don’t wash their hands properly when they are at work- a concerning figure for office hygiene.
That’s more than half of your office which could be spreading all manner of germs simply because they don’t take the time to wash their hands after visiting the toilet.
And it isn’t just germs from the office toilet which we need to worry about. Studies have shown that around 80 percent of infectious diseases are transmitted through touch, and viruses like influenza can survive for up to 48 hours on hands and other surfaces.
So what can you do to try to eradicate bad hand hygiene from your office and reduce the spread of bacteria?
Spread the word, not the germs
Surveys have shown that two thirds of office staff wish that their workplace was more hygienic than it currently is. So put that desire for more cleanliness to good use by getting the employees who would like more hygiene to do their bit and promote awareness of good hand hygiene.
But don’t leave everything down to your staff. You can also put up signs in the toilets – or other places where you have sinks – to remind people of the importance of washing their hands properly and regularly.
The World Health Organisation recommends that to clean your hands properly you should use warm water and anti-bacterial soap for the time it takes you to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice. That’s around 20 seconds, depending on how quickly you can sing!
You can find more advice about the importance of hand washing on the World Health Organisation website where you can also find downloadable leaflets and flyers which you could distribute at strategic locations around the office.
Likewise, people tend to believe the word of the NHS, so you might find some of their advice very persuasive to your staff. They even have an NHS video showing you how to wash your hands properly.
You could also make hand hygiene a part of your company’s induction process for all new staff or hold staff meetings where you highlight the importance of hand hygiene and explain why it is everyone’s responsibility to use best practices.
Get the best products for your office washrooms
For the best hygiene, you need the best products. We can supply you with the most hygienic and anti-bacterial supplies for your office toilets or washrooms so that all of those hands can be thoroughly cleaned regularly throughout the day.
We can also supply your business with a full range of washroom hygiene services and complete office cleaning solutions. Get in touch with us today for a competitive quote.