The nature of office space is changing and working practices are becoming more fluid in nature causing more companies to re-think the way they use their office space.
Gone are the days of individual desks piled high with paper, now it’s all about flexible, open planned layouts, co-working spaces and hot desks.
The downside of this is that with continual movement around the office, the risk of spreading germs dramatically increases.
In the UK, poor hand hygiene is one of the biggest causes of ill health in the workplace and less clutter does not necessarily mean fewer germs. Recent research found that levels of bacteria were significantly higher in shared workspaces than on single occupancy desks.
So what can you do to reduce the risk of spreading germs in the work space, here are a few of our handy tips:-
- Clear appropriate signage in washrooms prompting staff to clean their hands thoroughly
- Regular reminders sent out company-wide especially in winter ‘flu’ season
- Suitable hand washing facilities and products
- Alcohol gel dispensers in the washrooms and around the office
- Antibacterial wipes at all work stations for wiping down shared keyboards, phones etc.
- Regular office cleaning carried out by a professional cleaning company
- Regular computer and telephone cleaning carried out by a professional company
- Periodic deep cleans
Co-working and hot desks may be the future for saving money on office space, but in order for productivity not to drop and absenteeism not to rise, reducing the spread of germs is key to running a successful business.
