If you follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, you know that we often post shocking facts about the level of germs found around the office. And it is often the places you wouldn’t think of, that provide the most hygiene risk in the workplace.
So, here are 10 of the germiest places in your office:
- Lift Buttons
Think how many people press the lift buttons each day, and what their hands may have touched before that. Ensure the lift buttons are part of your workplace’s cleaning schedule and if you are concerned, try pressing the buttons with your elbow or keep some hand sanitiser nearby.
- Door Handles
Again, the same as above, think about how many hands touch door handles each day. Especially the doors that lead to and from the toilet facilities. It has been reported that 62% of men and 40% of women do NOT wash their hands after visiting the bathroom, and 95% of people do not wash their hands sufficiently to remove all germs. Make sure all door handles are cleaned and sanitised regularly.
- Your Desk
Put simply, your desk has around 400 times more germs than a toilet seat. If you eat your lunch at your desk, you are sharing it with about 21,000 bacteria, viruses, and fungi per square inch. Wash your hands and clean your desk as often as possible.
- Keyboard
An average keyboard harbours 7,500 bacteria. As well as touching the keys hundreds of times a day, you may also sneeze on it, eat over it, and perhaps spill drinks on it. How often do you clean it?
- Telephone
Even worse than your desktop, your phone has an average of 25,000 germs per square inch. It touches your hands, ears and is near your mouth, so keeping it clean is a high priority.
- Office Equipment
The average photocopier is touched up to 300 times a day, meaning that germs can thrive on the buttons of these and other printers/machines in the office. Put some sanitising wipes nearby to remind colleagues to clean it regularly.
- Watercooler
25% of watercooler buttons are considered serious risk for illness transmission. Ensure your watercooler is serviced and cleaned thoroughly to avoid the spread of potentially serious illnesses.
- Sinks
Whether it is the sink in your office kitchen or bathroom, sinks are a breeding ground for germs. In fact, a kitchen sink can have 100,000 times more germs than a toilet. The part you touch most, the taps, is also a health hazard, with bathroom taps having 21 times more germs than a toilet seat and kitchen taps having 44 times more bacteria.
- Microwave Door Handle
Another item that is touched several times each day, as colleagues take turns to heat or cook their lunches. In touching the door several times, moving food in and out, germs are rife. In tests, 48% of microwave door handles were considered to have a high risk for illness transmission. Another area that needs regular cleaning!
- Vending Machines
Not the vending machines themselves, but the buttons again! Anywhere that is touched regularly by many different people is a germ breeding ground. In a study, around 1 in 5 vending machines were found to have illness-causing germs. Another place to leave some antibacterial wipes and hand gel.
If you are concerned about the cleanliness of any areas in your workplace, feel free to contact us for a no obligation chat.