Avoiding Germs Around the Office
Our Health and Wellness Tips for the Office
E3 Consulting believes that the lifestyle choices made every day directly impact the health and wellness of employees. Many people spend a third of their lives in the office, meaning that the personal health decisions made there are just as important as the ones made at home. Here are some of the easiest ways you can improve health and wellness around the office with respect to spreading germs.
Wash Your Hands
While this simple piece of advice is given often, it’s for good reason! Washing your hands is the single most common, easy, and effective way to keep germ exposure in the office low. When you consider just how many surfaces you touch, and then consider how many your coworkers do, it’s easy to see how shared common spaces foster germ havens. Make sure to scrub your hands with soap and warm water for a minimum of 20 seconds – about the length of two Happy Birthday songs. Don’t just wash your hands after using the bathroom either; they should be washed any time common areas are used.
Be Mindful of Food-Borne Diseases
The communal fridge harbors its fair share of germs, many of which have the ability to cause food-borne diseases. Be mindful that Listeria, E. coli and many more can contaminate foods easily. Encourage coworkers not to keep just-bought groceries in the office fridge, as raw meat and vegetables can be carriers of germs. Additionally, keep the fridge free of expired foods, most notably those that are made ready-to-eat, like pre-made sandwiches. These foods are especially prone to going bad quickly when left in the fridge.
Clean Your Water Bottle
Your bottle may only hold water, but that doesn’t make it exempt from regular cleaning. The germs transferred from your mouth or hands to the bottle pose a health risk just as much as any other germs, and you should thoroughly wash your water bottle each day.
Sanitize Your Workspace
Organizing papers and tucking them away in drawers doesn’t (unfortunately) help keep your workspace truly clean. Desktops can carry up to 21,000 germs per square inch. Compared to a toilet seat’s 49 germs per square inch, it’s clear why you should wipe down your office spaces far more often than you think. Take a moment to wipe down keyboards, electronics, desks, chairs, and any other miscellaneous office products.
Stay Home When Sick
Of course, the best way to avoid germs in the office is to never introduce them to the space. If you feel sick, stay home. You can’t spread germs in a place you’re not present! Additionally, make sure to sneeze and cough into an unused tissue or your elbow. Even if you’re only coughing or sneezing due to allergies, germs can still be spread. Take preventive steps when it comes to sickness, and keep it far from your cubicle.
Contact E3 for Office Health and Wellness
When it comes to health and wellness, it’s important to identify areas of need and combat them with individualized ergonomics. E3 helps businesses improve their office space through programs that address mindfulness, nutrition, fitness, acupuncture, and stress management. Our specialists are trained to assess any workspace to craft custom plans for your employees to best improve their lifestyles and productivity. Contact E3 today to get started on improving your workplace!
