Studies estimate about 40,000 people will get the flu this season. The flu alone results in approximately 70 million missed work days each year.
In the midst of another flu season, employers are concerned about decreased productivity due to sick employees and are looking for ways to maintain healthy workspaces throughout their facilities.
Below are some simple tips that employers can follow to maintain a healthy work force:
1: Provide hand and surface sanitisers
These should be made easily accessible in the workplace as they can reduce germs and bacteria by up to 99.9 percent. But it is not enough to just provide them, employers should encourage their staff to use them to wipe their hands, work surfaces and desktop items.
2: Supply tissues
A surprising 68 percent of workers surveyed reported seeing coworkers sneezing or coughing without using a tissue or covering their mouth. Providing free tissues around the workplace and instructing employees to cover their noses and mouths when coughing or sneezing will reduce airborne germs in the office.
3: Set aside time at work for a good clean up
By setting aside a time for all employees to clean and sanitise their workspace and providing sanitising wipes, paper towels and spray, employers can create a more “germ” conscious workforce and a healthier office. This is particularly necessary with the number of people who eat at their workspace, which equates to a surprising 92 percent of workers.
4: Encourage proper handwashing
A building-wide hand washing campaign can be an effective way to remind workers to wash hands for at least 20 seconds as recommended by the Center for Disease Control. Provide touch-free soap and towel dispensers to further minimise the spread of germs.
Click here to read the Esco Refresh guide to washing hands properly.
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