One day, scientists decided to check what microorganisms are found in a typical office. The results of their research revealed the terrifying truth about huge habitats of bacteria, fungi and viruses. What are the most common germs in the workplace?
Are there microbes in your office? From the article you will learn:
- what microorganisms lurk in your workplace,
- where microorganisms most often accumulate,
- how to deal with them,
- how to increase the safety of office workers and take care of their health.
The keyboard, smartphone and calculator are ticking bombs!
According to scientists, there are a lot of different microorganisms hiding in the office. Some of them are really very dangerous! Unfortunately, many people are not aware of this threat, and poor hygiene in the workplace paves the way for germs. Statistically, men are much more likely to have neglected desks, where you can find up to three or four times more bacteria. Most germs accumulate on smartphones, tablets, keyboards, computer mice and calculators. Pens and documents are no less infected. All this makes everyday devices and accessories a ticking biological bomb! The most common bacteria found there are intestinal bacteria, including fecal bacteria, as well as skin and nasal bacteria. The phone is a particularly friendly place for various microorganisms to live and multiply.
Documents, notes, pens…
It is no different in the case of other accessories, which are abundant in every office. It turns out that documents are also a breeding ground for bacteria. Most often, these are bacteria from the hands. Unfortunately, many people still practice the habit of licking their fingers when turning pages. As a result, we can not only infect ourselves, but also add more microorganisms to the “collection”.
Many microbes are harmless, but among the long list of microbes that live in offices there are also very dangerous ones. It turns out that desks are an ideal habitat for influenza viruses, Staphylococcus aureus and E-coli. Streptococcus feces is a type of bacteria that can successfully survive on surfaces for up to 24 hours. That’s enough time to get infected.
What other microorganisms can we find in the office?
This is not the end of surprises. A desk contains more microorganisms than a toilet seat, so we can encounter many pathogens there. Although most of them are harmless, there are also some that can exclude an employee from work for several days. We can carry Salmonella bacteria on our hands, which can lead to severe food poisoning. Rotaviruses and coronaviruses also like to live on various office surfaces. What’s more, in the office we can even find hospital microorganisms, such as the hepatitis A virus or bacteria that cause pneumonia. Lack or inadequate hygiene in the workplace is the most common cause of infections among employees. And as we all know, prevention is better than cure!
Prevention and precaution
In order to avoid mass infections in the workplace, it is extremely important to maintain appropriate cleanliness. When hiring a cleaning company, it is worth including thorough cleaning of workstations as part of the work. The desk and all accessories should be cleaned and disinfected regularly. It is equally important to eliminate the source of infection. People with colds should be sent to remote work or L4. By equipping the office with professional cleaning and disinfecting preparations, we can significantly reduce the number of harmful microorganisms at work. Hand disinfectants such as DezoSept or DezoSept Plus should be available to every employee. Raising awareness of the threat and equipping the office with professional cleaning products will help maintain hygiene in the workplace.
Routine disinfection during periods of increased illness
Offices should be disinfected regularly. Especially during periods of increased disease incidence (autumn, winter and spring), it is worth using strong disinfectants. DezoFast for thorough disinfection can be used on any surface from which we want to remove various viruses, fungi or bacteria. Its broad spectrum of action guarantees hygienic cleanliness. On a daily basis, it is worth using cleaning and disinfecting preparations such as Nano Protect Silver Table . It will effectively remove dust and greasy dirt from desks and office furniture, and at the same time disinfect the surfaces. Offices with air conditioning should also be equipped with Nano Protect Silver Nice , a special preparation for cleaning and disinfecting air conditioning.
A professional range of cleaning products and the awareness of employees will keep the office impeccably clean. Even if you hire a cleaning company, it is worth equipping your office with basic cleaning products with disinfecting properties.
