Every business, health facility, or any commercial workspace would have many visitors walking in and out of its doors, increasing the spread of germs. Ensuring a clean and hygienic environment needs to be a high-priority task for any workspace.
Hygiene Tips for Every Workplace
Your workplace’s hygiene influences the productivity of the people working there. A clean space would not only help them breathe and work comfortably but take their mind off of unnecessary health-conscious thoughts.
This article introduces you to 12 hygiene tips for your workplace.
Keep a Sanitizer
Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, living without a sanitizer seems as difficult as living without water. Previously, we only saw hand sanitizers at hospitals or clinics, but now every workplace has it. Every person carries a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer clung to their bag or key chain. A good quality hand sanitizer is crucial for killing bacteria on the surface of your hands. It is more effective when you use it after washing your hands with clean water and soap.
You can mount sanitizer dispensers in the foyer or meeting rooms at your workplace. Having sanitizers at the workplace will prevent the spread of germs and maintain a clean environment.
Education on Hygiene
One of the most important methods for creating a hygienic environment is to educate everyone in your workspace regarding the importance of hygiene and cleanliness. The academic field of workplace hygiene is growing, and there are courses such as industrial hygiene master’s online that can be beneficial for professionals determined to create a safe and healthy workplace for everyone. Alternatively, you could hire someone already qualified in this area to teach employees about workplace hygiene and help maintain hygienic standards.
Eating and Drink in Designated Areas
Eating and drinking in the workspace can create a mess and be detrimental to the functionality of your digital devices. Imagine your keyboard stops working mid-way when you’re writing that year-end report, only for you to find crumbs stuck between the keys. It can be avoided by eating and drinking in designated areas only.
An eating or drinking area does not mean you dump all of the mess in one area. You, along with your colleagues, should keep the eating area clean. Everyone must put back their cutlery and dispose of any food packages after eating.
The Bathroom and Kitchen Should Be Away From The Main Workspace
Just as eating and drinking should have designated areas, the bathroom, restroom, or kitchen area must be away from the main workspace. It could be on another floor if the office space is big enough to accommodate, or at another corner, far from the working area. It would prevent the spread of germs and smell from the bathroom or kitchen area and keep the environment clean and hygienic.
The Stock Up on Hygiene Consumables
Designating a separate area for cooking, eating, and bathroom are the most your workspace can do for keeping a hygienic environment at work. To go the extra mile, stock up on hygiene products in your office, either in the washroom or storage. These items can include extra hand soap, detergent, sanitizer, and other cleaning supplies. You can also include a stock of feminine hygiene products to ensure they are available when required.
Keep Air Fresheners or Scent Diffusers
To make your office space smell fresh, you can use air fresheners or keep electronic scent diffusers in the main workspace. A scent diffuser is much more efficient than an air freshener, but not every office might have the budget for maintaining one. Especially if you have a large workspace, you might need multiple scent diffusers. Some water and essential oils will create the perfect environment for work and make sure it smells nice.
Physical Declutter
Unused paper documents would use up physical space and might even be sore for the eyes. Not to mention it can be very difficult to clean the area every day as paper readily collects dust. To reduce physical clutter around your workspace, try digitalizing every document and sharing files over the web rather than printing and wasting paper. Though not every business can go completely digital, we can start somewhere.
Air Out the Workplace
When the news about the COVID-19 pandemic surfaced, airing out became common. It is important to let in natural air now and then, even if you live in a tropical or warmer climate. Turning off the air conditioner for some time and opening up the windows at your office can let the fresh air in and diffuse away dust particles. This can help curtail the growth of bacteria and germs in the workspace and prevent your colleagues or employees from falling ill.
Cleaning Services
No matter how careful and vigilant your colleagues and employees are about hygiene, at some point, you will have to hire a cleaning service.
A cleaning service would ensure all areas within the workspace are properly cleaned and sanitized. Working in an unclean environment can be detrimental to the health and productivity of your workforce.
Add Air-Cleaning Plants
Adding plants to your workspace would add to its aesthetic beauty and help filter the dust particles from the air. Air-purifying plants like the Barberton Daisy, Spider Plant, Aloe Vera, and Snake Plant can make a difference.
They would take away toxins from your air, provide more oxygen, and prevent dust. Especially workers who have dust allergies would be at ease.
Garbage Disposal
Perhaps previously, you avoided investing in a proper garbage disposal system, but given the pandemic’s situation, you should not risk it now. There is a way of disposing of every type of trash. Not everything has to be recycled or dumped.
A garbage disposal service or system might also inculcate awareness about recycling and waste creation. We often don’t realize the unnecessary amount of waste that a single activity can cause. A garbage disposal system would help you and your colleagues realize the importance of waste management and cleanliness.
Allow Sick Days
A crucial policy measure that employers miss out on is allowing for sick days. If an employee feels under the weather but is afraid to take a day off due to financial reasons or work-related commitments, ask them to take a day off.
Otherwise, they would just spread the germs in the workplace. Especially after COVID-19, many workspaces have allowed employees to work from home or are just more generous with granting sick leaves.
Conclusion
Every workspace must have a clear guide on hygiene and cleanliness to avoid jeopardizing the health of its workers or customers.
In fact, a safe and healthy environment would also enhance workers’ focus and productivity, further benefitting the organization.
