Standard practices for infection prevention in the workplace
How can communal workplaces make changes to combat illness and infections?
As workplaces move back into their regular practices, it can be easy to neglect the simple measures required to avoid ill-health at work. In this article, we will show you the importance of a clean environment and how it can benefit both employers and their staff.
Illness in the workplace
In 2021, sickness absence from the workplace grew to 2.2%, which was a record high since 2010. This statistic equates to an average loss of around 4.6 days per employee, or an overall total of 149.3 million working days across the UK.
It’s no secret that during the years affected by the coronavirus pandemic, infection prevention was at the forefront of many people’s minds, and upscaling measures to sanitise and keep the rate of infection as low as possible in communal spaces became a priority. Whilst coronavirus-related illness made up the majority of absences, other minor illnesses came closely behind having dominated in previous years. These consisted of minor coughs, colds, the flu, and other viral and bacterial sickness. Despite the increase in workplace illnesses, general ailments such as colds and flu were down by 5%, most likely due to the increased collective effort to maintain good hygiene at work and being aware of how easily germs can spread. Continuing to implement these measures not only keeps the workplace safe but avoids increased costs from continuing absences whilst improving efficiency.
Simple methods for maintaining a healthy work environment
It’s essential that employers continue to teach staff the importance of infection control guidelines in the workplace, especially where there is regular engagement with customers, clients, or co-workers, and even more so in healthcare settings. Likewise, employees should be encouraged to report issues and make suggestions if situations arise where health and safety could be improved. Here are some easy, yet highly effective methods that can make a difference at work:
Frequent hand washing
This is one of the most beneficial ways to avoid cross-contamination and the spread of infection, and is something that has been highly promoted ever since the outbreak of covid-19, and with good reason. Make sure to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with liquid soap to help remove germs and viruses, focusing on washing between fingers and the palms of the hands and then drying with a paper towel or hand dryer. Our hands may feel clean, but not washing them effectively leaves a lot of germs behind, leaving us susceptible to illnesses and infections. Here is a breakdown of how to wash your hands effectively. This relatively easy task can make a huge difference, especially considering the number of surfaces we touch in any given day. If there isn’t an opportunity to wash your hands, then hand sanitiser should be used at the very least.
Being aware of others
This may seem self-explanatory, but it is a simple practice that can often get overlooked. Making sure to be courteous to others can go a long way, such as cleaning up after yourself, sneezing and coughing into tissues or the crook of your elbow and trying to keep a distance from others when sick. This can help to avoid the spread of illness in the workplace, especially respiratory infections that spread far and linger on surfaces.
Cleanliness of workspaces
Bacteria thrive in the workplace, especially in areas where several employees are gathered and share their workspace. On top of maintaining personal hygiene, employees should aim to sanitise areas they are going to work in, or those they have already used, so that they are ready for the next user. This can be done through using anti-bacterial sprays and wipes on surfaces, and especially on areas that are difficult to clean and so are where germs gather, such as keyboards and cash registers. Taking five minutes before and at the end of shifts to clean area workspace can help perpetuate high standards of cleanliness at work. Providing employees with the right equipment at all times can help ensure this habit becomes part of their daily ritual.
Disposal of waste
Making sure to dispose of waste correctly is essential, especially when it comes to human hygiene and waste that is potentially dangerous. It is essential that people clean up after themselves after using bathrooms, disposing of used tissues and personal hygiene waste correctly. This helps to prevent other people from falling ill, particularly if a staff member were to be carrying an infectious illness without being aware of it. When waste is being disposed of, which includes the cleaning of bathroom facilities, it is important to cover any wounds, wear gloves where possible and always clean your hands with soap and water afterwards. This not only helps prevent the spread of bacteria but also encourages a clean and safe workplace, which is beneficial for both the staff and customers alike. Of course, good hygiene should be adopted by businesses as common practice. But if your business is considering going further, here are some other ways to help support others’ well-being:
Employees staying home when sick
Some workers continue to come into work regardless of their condition, but this puts the rest of the team at risk. The key is to avoid an outbreak of illness at work and to provide reassurance for employees who are unwell, so that they know they can stay at home to recuperate and isolate if required, without affecting their job security or pay. In some cases, they may be able to work from home, but depending on the illness, this will not always be in the best interest of the employee or the employer.
Setting up sanitation workstations
This is of benefit not just for staff but also for customers and clients that come through the workplace. Making sure to have hand sanitiser and anti-bacterial wipes and sprays readily available in dedicated zones allows for easy access to cleaning supplies. Stocking bathrooms with liquid soap and enough paper towels is also imperative to maintaining health and safety. This is also important when working with children, whose close mixing can mean easy transmission of germs. Having access to these stations means that contaminated areas can be cleaned up as quickly as possible.
Regular team briefings
Having a good relationship amongst staff members is a valuable resource within the business, allowing for open communication channels and a staff body that feels confident to be able to raise concerns. It’s important that staff members are able to recognise and report any safety issues of concern, regardless of their position in a business. Holding team briefings means that the message of maintaining a clean workspace can be directly addressed at regular intervals, instilling a daily routine within the team.
Hiring a professional cleaning service
If it is feasible, then a cleaning team could be of real benefit to a business in improving their standard of cleanliness in the workplace. This is especially true for communal shared workstations, retail, hospitality, warehouses and anywhere that has a high volume of staff and customers interacting with one another. Not only can a dedicated cleaning team save a business time by taking over the everyday cleaning duties, but they can also provide a much higher standard of cleaning, covering more of the areas that can so often go overlooked by others. This can not only increase efficiency but also productivity, preventing hazards and ensuring the safeguarding of those working within the business. This is not a substitute for personal infection prevention practices however, but rather another level of dedicated care. Here we have written a more in-depth blog post regarding the benefits of outsourcing to a cleaning company.
Making sure to follow standard precautions for infection control can go a long way in busy workplaces. Whilst these procedures can seem like common knowledge, it can be easy for them to be overlooked, and this can be a problem particularly in large workplaces where the spread of infection can be rapid. This is not only an issue for workers, but for customers too, especially when working with them directly. Displaying informative hygiene posters, scheduling regular training, and encouraging team briefings that include the opportunity to share concerns can bring employers and staff together, encouraging a collective team effort. Safeguarding the workplace can provide many benefits for business and staff alike, making it a core value to support a healthy and safe lifestyle for all.
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