When the cold weather arrives, people begin spending more time indoors. Unfortunately, these conditions allow viruses to spread more easily from person to person throughout the winter.
In recent years, people have become more aware of the risk of infections through their proximity to others. However, it is the contaminated objects we encounter daily in the workplace that often contribute to those nasty colds and flus.
People tend to touch their eyes, nose, and mouth more than they realize (one study puts the number at 23 times per hour). When you consider the fact that harmful germs can live on any hard surface for multiple days at a time, you need to be mindful of what you touch.
This is why regular cleaning and disinfection in busy areas is so important during the winter months. As an employer, you need to do what you can to limit the possibility of your staff getting sick.
Tips for Sickness Prevention
Cold air and moisture are a bad combination, especially when it comes to respiratory illnesses. It is everybody’s responsibility to do their part to limit the transmission of germs.
Here are some things you can do to help this winter.
Handwashing
Commonly touched surfaces like door handles, shared phones, keyboards, and elevator buttons are all hotbeds for germs. Everything from the shared printer to the water cooler and the coffee machine can pose a risk to your health. Regular hand washing and the use of sanitizer will help, especially before any meals where you may be touching your food. Use soap with warm water for at least 20 seconds for best results. Ensure your bathrooms are constantly well stocked with soap, paper towels, and other supplies.
Disinfecting Wipes
Workplace cleanliness starts with sanitizing your personal objects and the surfaces you touch the most. Keyboards, desk surfaces, and iPhones all benefit from regular cleaning (however, it’s not recommended that you use alcohol wipes on Android products’ glass surfaces). Disinfecting is an excellent habit to get into, even when it’s not cold and flu season. A professional office cleaning company will know where to sanitize and which products to use for maximum effectiveness!
Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
Germ prevention is essential, but you must also work on building your body’s resistance. Eating 4 to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day can help support a strong immune system. Oranges, blueberries, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, eggs, and salmon are all recommended for a healthy diet. It’s also important to stay hydrated (water works best) and get plenty of sleep (at least 7-9 hours for adults) to avoid getting run down.
Stay Home When You’re Sick
Nobody will commend you for coming to work when you’re contagious. And you won’t perform your best anyway while you’re under the weather. If coughing, sneezing, fever, and a runny nose are making you miserable, you don’t want to pass those symptoms along to others. Stay home and rest. Cover your coughs and sneezes and dispose of used tissues immediately.
Keep Your Environment Clean
Whether at the office or home, you need to be extra vigilant during the winter months when respiratory illnesses are most common. It’s easy to forget how easily strep throat, norovirus, bronchitis, pneumonia, and COVID-19 can spread through contact with various surfaces. If you’re in an office or public space, it’s especially important that your surfaces be sanitized and that your trash bins be emptied frequently.
If disinfecting larger homes or work areas is a concern, Peak Janitorial offers professional cleaning services for extra defence against harmful germs and to help prevent absenteeism.
Whether you need customized maid service or electrostatic disinfection, a thorough cleaning by Peak Janitorial helps improve everyone’s comfort. Contact the cleaning pros in Greater Vancouver today!