Common office space germs and how to deal with them
Our workplaces are more than just a space to conduct business: they’re also highly social places where staff and customers gather to build relationships and share knowledge, experience, and even glimpses of their personal lives. But as anyone in a shared office space knows, it’s also a place for sharing germs.
Any workplace can harbour a wide variety of germs, including bacteria, viruses, and mould. These microorganisms can be found on surfaces and objects and pose health risks to employees and customers alike. In this post we highlight four of the most common germs and ways to effectively prevent and deal with them for healthier, safer, more productive workplaces.
Norovirus (a.k.a. the "stomach bug")
Where it lives: Break rooms, shared kitchen surfaces, doorknobs, and bathroom sinks.
How it spreads: Through contaminated surfaces, food, or close contact.
Best practices: Disinfect high-touch surfaces regularly. Encourage frequent handwashing, especially after using the bathroom or handling food. Implement healthy workplace policies that allow employees to stay or work from home if symptomatic.
Influenza virus (The flu)
Where it lives: Desks, phones, keyboards, elevator buttons, and shared devices.
How it spreads: Via airborne droplets and contaminated surfaces.
Best practices: Promote annual flu vaccinations for employees and disinfect commonly touched items daily. Ensure your office ventilation system is updated and cleaned regularly. Allow flexible sick leave for employees who are exposed or symptomatic; when outbreaks occur, allowing staff to work from home to reduce spread.
Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA)
Where it lives: Shared office equipment, gym and leisure areas, break room surfaces, and door and cupboard handles.
How it spreads: Through skin contact or touching contaminated surfaces.
Best practices: Provide each employee with hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Have shared equipment and surfaces thoroughly and frequently cleaned. Encourage employees to cover any cuts and practice frequent handwashing.
E. coli and Salmonella
Where they live: Shared kitchen areas, refrigerator handles, and poorly cleaned coffee makers.
How they spread: Through contaminated food or unclean surfaces.
Best practices: Sanitize break room surfaces and utensils daily and keep the fridge and microwave interiors clean. Promote food safety practices with staff, like labelling personal food items with names and expiry dates and storing all food properly.
Schedule professional cleanings to keep on top of common workplace germs
Showroom Janitorial is an experienced, versatile commercial company for all your office cleaning needs. Available on a one-time or recurring basis, we prioritize the cleaning jobs on the top of your checklist – including preventing and dealing with germs.
Get in touch and find out how we can help manage your office cleaning by calling (204) 694-9513.