04/ 05/ 2007
Take a look at the desk you're sitting at. Maybe there's a coffee stain here or there, but other than that, it looks clean enough to eat off, right? Not hardly.
A 2002 study sponsored by The Clorox Company found that the average office desk harbors hundreds of times more bacteria per square inch than an office toilet seat. Office toilet seats had 49 germs per square inch, the study by microbiologists at the University of Arizona found; desktops had almost 21,000 germs per square inch. And that wasn't the worst of it. Office phones had more than 25,000 germs per square inch. A follow-up study performed last year found that the germiest workplace surfaces (from most germy to least germy) are the phone, keyboard, computer mouse and desktop.
And to add insult to injury, all of those germs, which include bacteria and viruses that can cause a whole host of illnesses, including the common cold and flu, can live for days. In other words, your dirty workspaces could be making you and your employees sick, which can play a big part in decreased worker productivity.
We have enough ways to get sick--the office doesn't need to be one of them. Here are five easy ways you can help keep your office clean and germ-free.
1. Wipe down workspaces every day: Chances are, your custodian doesn't touch the workstations, let alone wipe them down, for fear of getting blamed when something turns up missing. So take it upon yourself--and charge your employees--to make sure desks, phones, mice and keyboards are cleaned every day. Designate a certain time in the afternoon when everyone takes a few minutes and makes sure it's done. Purchase several bottles of disinfecting spray and packages of disinfecting wipes--and store them in a convenient location, giving employees ample opportunity to clean their workstations whenever they want.
2. Put food in the kitchen: Storing food at your desk is a breeding ground for germs, so make a space in the kitchen where everyone can store their food. Consider getting closed plastic bins--one for refrigerated items and one for dry foods--for each of your employees. Write their names on them so there's no confusing whose peanut butter is whose.
3. Send sick people home: Make sure your employees know that if they're sick and potentially contagious, you don't want them at the office. Create guidelines for employees to help them determine when they're OK to come in, and when they need to steer clear.
4. Wash your hands: We learned at a young age the importance of washing our hands, but a reminder never hurts. Put up signs in the restrooms and at each sink that reiterate the importance of hand washing, and the role it plays in preventing the spread of germs. The Food and Drug Administration recommends washing your hands with soap and warm water for 15 to 20 seconds, rubbing hands vigorously together. If soap and water are not available, the FDA recommends alcohol-based hand wipes or gel sanitizers. Purchase these and place some at each of your workstations for easy access.
5. Encourage vaccination: When flu season rolls around, set an example and get a flu vaccination. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention calls this the single most effective way to prevent the flu.
