CHTMAG.COM HYGIENE FEATURE PROMOTING HEALTHY WORKPLACES Sometimes the smallest actions can have the biggest impact. Establishing a thorough cleaning schedule in the workplace is key, however if employees don’t wash or sanitise their hands properly, a thorough cleaning schedule is not enough. Up to 80 per cent of all infections are transmitted by the hands1, therefore if just one employee comes into the office with a cold and doesn’t take care to follow good hand hygiene, the infection could easily spread around the whole workplace. There can be no doubt that poor hand hygiene increases the likelihood of infections spread through a facility. Add to this startling research whereby 25 per cent of people don’t wash their hands after using the washroom2, while a further 46 per cent don’t wash long enough to be effective3 – and the scale of the problem becomes more apparent. Infections spreading around the workplace causes more employees to take time off sick, and can ultimately affect the overall productivity of a business, as well as the morale and well-being of its workforce. Over 400 million working days were lost due to sickness absence between 2013 and 2015, including 138.7 million working days in 2015, according to the UK Office for National Statistics. At the same time, the recent Stoddart Review found that if just a one per cent productivity gain could be achieved in UK workforces, it could add almost £20 billion to our national output. The message is simple: a comprehensive hand hygiene programme in the workplace can have a significant impact on the health of employees, reduce absenteeism, and demonstrate company commitment to employee wellbeing. This message is consistent with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) latest infection prevention and control guidance that highlights good hand hygiene as a core element to breaking the chain of infection in a facility. WINTER ACTIVISM Winter is cold and flu season, traditionally seeing an increase in contagious viral illnesses, which in some instances can be quite debilitating and lead to more time off work. The simple act of hand washing can make a huge difference to health, helping to prevent the spread of germs and reduce the chances of getting sick in the first place – ensuring wellbeing during the colder months and all year round. The washroom should be considered a germ hot spot by facilities managers, and infections that make their way on to the hands here, can easily be transferred to other surfaces throughout a building. Having the correct hygiene solutions and signage in place can help increase hand hygiene compliance, and ultimately boost the health of a facility. Other areas that should be targeted for hand hygiene solutions and awareness-raising campaigns include food and drink preparation areas such as communal kitchens and cafeterias, where attention to hand hygiene is of course paramount. Additional suitable locations include receptions and waiting areas, and on, or near desks in open plan offices. Access to the right products and systems plays a critical role in the promotion of healthy hand hygiene, and can increase hand washing and sanitising compliance in a building. Creating and improving a healthy environment can be as simple as adjusting or upgrading hand hygiene facilities; enhancing the perception of a workplace as well as increasing hand hygiene in both staff and visitors. FEBRUARY 2017 21 CLEANING HYGIENE TODAY A comprehensive hand hygiene programme in the workplace can have a significant impact on the health of employees, reduce absenteeism, and demonstrate company commitment to employee wellbeing.”
CHT February 2017
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