The Integrity News
Vol. XI No. 13 ISSN 1081-2717 June 3, 2002
Want to cut down on sick days ?
Try cleaning your office.
A very interesting study is reported in this
article that speaks volumes of common
sense. If you want employees off sick less of the time,
then set up a cleanliness program to help them keep
from passing bacteria among themselves.
This is very simple risk management.
A university study wanted to find out just
how dirty offices are. So here are some
results --- all stated in Bacteria per Square
Inch (BSI). They took 7,000 samples in
offices from coast to coast.
As a benchmark, start with restrooms
where the janitor usually cleans with
a disinfectant. How about 50 BSI ?
Go back to your office and test the
keyboard where you constantly handle
the keys after touching food and all sorts
of other things. How about 3,000 BSI ?
Getting worse, but how about your desktop
where you spill coffee, eat your lunch, and
clean up by smearing things around with a
wet paper towel. How about 21,000 BSI ?
Well then, maybe you'll stop and think the
next time that you ask to use someone's
phone. A phone receiver has an average of
25,000 BSI.
The worst areas of all were the above parts
of the various receptionist's desks because
that is where everyone stops to pause every
day.
It almost makes you want to buy boxes of
wet disinfectant wipes. It sure seems like
it would be possible to help your employees
kill the bacteria at their workplace to keep
them from getting sick as often.
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