Winter is almost over, and you may be rejoicing for successfully avoiding that nasty cold or flu bug that seems to have struck down most of your colleagues.

But don’t celebrate just yet, as it starts to warm up, we tend to get complacent with taking precautions against these horrible germs.

Our offices are one of the biggest germ-factories we can be in and no matter how well you try to avoid those who are showing any symptoms of being unwell, bacteria can still spread. Despite your best efforts, if you avoid basic office hygiene, you can fall victim to these bugs.

GCC Facilities Management recently ran a study to discover how often common office items are cleaned and the results were shocking.

The least cleaned office item is the work telephone, this can be touched numerous times a day by various people and mouths come within proximity.

The average office phone contains more bacteria than a toilet seat so really, you should be cleaning it at least once a day.

You can avoid this germ-fest with the hiring of professional cleaners, who help to eradicate the spread of bacteria and keep you healthy.

Not all of our workspaces have the resources for professionals and sometimes we are left to fend for our own hygiene.

By following these 5 top tips, you can those around you from catching anything and more importantly, prevent yourself from getting sick at work.

1. Clean your desk

Our personal desks are our own little haven when we’re at work and seeing as we spend an average of eight hours a day there, it is like a second home.

Even if you are not ill, your desk items can be harbouring thousands of germs from the spread of those who are.

37% of computer mice are never cleaned and 31% of keyboards are completely neglected. Considering these are touched hundreds of times a day and it is unlikely you can wash your hands after each point of contact, who knows what you could be contracting.

Dr Arun Thiyagarajan of Bupa UK, the leading international healthcare group, states:

“Surfaces and equipment can harbour dirt, viruses, and bacteria that can remain active for months. Without regular office cleaning and good personal hygiene – e.g. antibacterial hand washing – there’s an increased chance of these surface germs transferring to you and giving you illnesses like flu, food poisoning, and diarrhea”.

You should aim to wipe down your desk with an antibacterial product at least once a day and don’t forget keyboards, mice and anything else you have regular…
 
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