June 10, 2020 Important Hygiene Advice for the Working Environment

A look at how to maintain a hygienic workplace to keep everyone as safe as possible.

Even before COVID-19, workplaces were a common place to get sick. No matter whether it’s a construction site, factory, or office, so many people in one spot means that if someone comes to work carrying a sickness, then this can spread rapidly and endanger staff and visitors. Every workplace environment needs to be hygienic at all times, and strict rules and measures need to be in place to keep everyone as safe as possible.

Just like knowing how to properly wear a mask in order to help reduce coronavirus infection, keeping a workplace hygienic means that employees remain happier, healthier, and far more productive. This also means staff are less likely to take sick leave, which can end up costing businesses thousands each year in lost productivity.

How is it possible to maintain a hygienic workplace?

Draw up a clear and precise hygiene policy – Inform all your staff about the hygiene measures and the expectations of how the workplace should look and function every day. The guidelines should be sent via email and regular mail to all employees and displayed in several key spots around the workplace, such as the kitchen, bathroom, and main entrance. As COVID-19 has displayed, germs and bacteria can spread incredibly fast and workplace hygiene is to be taken seriously.

Provide a sanitary bathroom – Every workplace’s bathrooms should be as spotless as possible. Ideally, cleaning staff should clean and disinfect the men’s and women’s bathrooms every morning, and perform regular spot checks throughout the day. Hotspots like the lavatory flusher, door handles, and basins should be cleaned especially well. Ensure that each bathroom is fully stocked with hand soap, toilet paper, hand towels, and disinfectant wipes. It doesn’t hurt to have a sign for how to properly wash hands, as these tips will provide all you need to know on the matter.

Hand out items to staff to stay hygienic – Even if employees know that they should use a tissue to blow their nose and then throw it away, or even use hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t immediately available, sometimes they just don’t have these things to hand! A good gesture is to provide a packet of tissues and a small bottle of hand sanitizer for every employee, as this should help them to recognize the importance of staying safe.

Don’t forget the kitchen! – Bathrooms are definitely a common spot for germs and bacteria to lurk, but the kitchen is also a zone where people shouldn’t relax their hygiene efforts. People often share mugs, utensils, and even the water boiler or coffee machine, so it’s important to keep in mind that everything should be washed and dried where applicable, and machines wiped down after every use. Hand washing is also very important before cooking or eating lunch.

Right now, workplace hygiene shouldn’t be a difficult topic for anyone, as every person should be aware of how vital a clean working environment should be. Once everyone follows the measures and also avoids coming to work if feeling any cold or flu symptoms, then we can all focus on getting work done!

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