infection control

Contributed by Jeremy Maready

Cold and flu season is upon us, along with a nasty uptick of norovirus. And businesses need to take steps to protect their employees and customers.

Through the first week of December, the latest data available, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 91 suspected or confirmed cases of norovirus – a significant increase from past years. And in the week that ended Dec. 21, 12,543 patients were admitted to hospitals with influenza.

“Illness in the workplace has a ripple effect, not only with the person who gets sick, but those around them,” says Hiram Rodriguez, director of operations for Office Pride Commercial Cleaning Services. “The loss of productivity can be costly to a company, especially small businesses who work on slim margins.”

That means keeping a clean workplace isn’t just a necessity for the health of employees. Regular cleaning maintains a safe environment for customers, too. While there are steps that any business can take to avoid these losses, professional commercial cleaners can be good partners and help their clients by making it as easy as possible.

Encourage Regular Hand Hygiene

Remember the focus on handwashing during the pandemic? It still works. Suggest your clients encourage employees by placing signs in restroom areas or by sinks to remind them.

Another helpful addition to any office is to have hand sanitizing stations in high-traffic areas. Check the label to be sure you are using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in some situations.

Disinfect high-touch areas: Germs hide in plain sight on doorknobs, elevator buttons, keyboards and more. While encouraging a tidy office can reduce clutter, remind clients the regular disinfection of all surfaces is key to maintaining a healthy work environment.

Routine cleaning removes the virus, along with soil that may harbor germs. Disinfecting with a proven disinfectant product will kill the remaining germs. High-touch electronic items, such as phones and computer keyboards, should also be cleaned frequently with disinfecting wipes.

“Using professionally trained commercial cleaners is a first step to protecting workers and customers during this time of year, when flu and norovirus are more prevalent,” said Rodriguez. “Even if clients maintain the times between cleanings, professional cleaners use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved chemicals and observe necessary dwell times, which is the length of time disinfectants need to remain on surfaces to kill germs.”

Supply Stocking

Assist clients by making sure offices are properly supplied with consumable supplies like tissues, disinfectant wipes, soap and hand sanitizer.

Having a steady supply of tissues helps contain the germs of runny noses – a common occurrence this time of year – is important in keeping a healthy office and one that can be easily overlooked by clients trying to do it themselves.

A commercial cleaning partner can regularly stock those items to ensure clients always have a steady supply of soap for hand washing and disinfectant wipes for cleaning the surfaces to keep the sniffles contained.

Promote Employee Health

Encourage your clients’ and your own employees to stay home when feeling unwell or provide flexible work options, like staggered schedules or remote work, to minimize in-office interactions and reduce the spread of germs.

“Promoting the health of your employees starts with a clean and safe office space,” Rodriguez added. “A well-maintained office can improve the health of staff, protect your customers and reduce the spread of the flu and norovirus.”