Three Ways to Halt Germ Transmission in Your Facility
An infection prevention solutions guide from Staples Business Advantage
Jeffrey Beland
Senior Facilities Marketing Manager
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As a facility manager (FM), you've probably discovered the worst-kept secret in the facility management industry: most workplaces are breeding grounds for disease-causing pathogens - not only Covid and all its variants, but other viruses such as influenza and the common cold.
And this is why it's not a very well-kept secret: at work, people congregate in common spaces and frequently touch shared objects and surfaces. Pathogens thrive on those surfaces, and they're able to migrate quickly. A study presented to the American Society for Microbiology proved that contamination of a single commonly touched surface in an office setting can impact 40% to 60% of nearby surfaces in less than half a day.
Research from the University of Arizona showed that more than half of commonly touched surfaces in an office - like doorknobs, copy machine buttons and office refrigerators - can become infected with a virus when a single person in the office is ill. Maybe that's why an average of 16.2% of US flu cases are contracted in the workplace.
Open floor plans may pose an even greater threat to employee health. A study conducted in Denmark found that workers in open-plan offices were 62% more likely to be absent due to sickness than workers in private or cellular offices.
Pathogens in the workplace come with a costly side effect: absenteeism. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that productivity losses linked to absenteeism cost employers $225.8 billion annually in the US, or $1,685 per employee.
According to the National Library of Medicine, the flu alone costs $87 billion every year in healthcare costs, projected lost earnings and loss of life. Infections account for an average of up to six lost working days - the averages go higher for older and hourly workers.
Even if an employee is not absent, significant losses in productivity can occur, accounting for as much as 64% of the overall economic impact of worker illnesses.
The common cold costs the economy an estimated $40 billion every year. Colds account for 40% of all lost time from jobs.
SOURCE: American Journal of Infection Control, Volume43, Issue2, 112-114
And while most FMs are aware of the risk of germs in obvious places like restrooms, guess where the real office hot spots for pathogen contamination are located?
"The place where workers eat and prepare their lunches tops the list."
According to a Kimberly-Clark Professional comprehensive study of where germs lurk in the workspace, breakroom sinks and microwave door handles proved to be the dirtiest surfaces touched by office workers daily.
In this study of nearly 3,000 employees across multiple industry facilities (including manufacturing companies, law firms, insurance companies, healthcare companies and call centers), hygienists swabbed 5,000 common office surfaces and objects to measure levels of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP).
The study identified the office surfaces with high levels of germ contamination (an ATP reading of 300 or higher). These surfaces included:
- 75% of breakroom sink faucet handles
- 48% of microwave door handles
- 27% of keyboards
- 26% of refrigerator door handles
- 23% of water fountain buttons
- 21% of vending machine buttons
It's worth noting that half of all computer mice and desk phones were found to have ATP levels above 100.
The bottom line? The people who work in the facilities you manage are potentially being exposed to illness-causing bacteria right in their own lunchrooms, as well as elsewhere around the office.
And this is where you, the FM, can make a positive difference. It requires three actions that you and your staff should take every day:
- Prevent workplace infection.
- Promote hand hygiene.
- Provide cleaning products for personal spaces.
1. Prevent Workplace Infection
This involves more than just updating your cleaning schedule. It requires FMs to rethink WHY we clean. Historically, we've focused on cleaning for appearance (shiny floors, aromatic restrooms, etc.). But in this post-Covid world, FMs need to focus on cleaning for health, which is the process of reducing the spread of germs and other unwanted matter from facility surfaces.
Disinfecting
Start by establishing and standardizing your staff's cleaning and disinfecting processes. Prior to disinfecting, use the correct general-purpose chemical or degreaser to pre-clean heavily soiled areas. Select the right disinfectant based on the required kill claim and the surface being cleaned. Also, make disinfecting wipes easily accessible in conference rooms, breakrooms and personal workspaces.
Air Purification
When used properly, air cleaners and HVAC filters can help reduce airborne contaminants including viruses by filtering them out of the air. To select an air cleaner that does this effectively:
1. Make sure it fits the space where it will be used. Air filter manufacturers typically indicate this in square feet.
2. Confirm it's a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter OR specifically indicates the ability to filter particles in the 0.1-1 um size range.
In the span of 24 hours, the average adult touches 7,200 surfaces and touches their face 552 times.
SOURCE: American Journal of Infection Control, Volume43, Issue2, 112-114
Touch-Free Restroom Dispensers and Plumbing
Paper towels are a hygienic hand-drying option. However, there's nothing hygienic about an unwrapped stack of folded paper towels sitting beside a restroom sink or a person touching the faucet handle after washing their hands.
Automated, touchless faucets and flush valves, as well as sanitizer, soap and paper towels dispensers protect the product inside from contamination while allowing people to keep their hands to themselves - both of which help reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
Dispensed Hand Sanitizer
Double down on clean hands by installing touch-free hand sanitizer dispensers throughout your facilities, including near building entrances and in restrooms and breakrooms. This allows people to sanitize their hands one more time as they leave a room, which helps them to avoid spreading germs when touching entry/exit hotspots such as doors, handles and waste receptacles.
Dispensed Facial Tissue
Facial tissues are often considered one of the first lines of defense for infection prevention. Coughs and sneezes spray small liquid droplets that may contain viruses from the nose or mouth. So, be sure to provide ample boxes of facial tissues in the following places:
- Breakrooms
- Restrooms
- Entrances
- Schools/classrooms
- Meeting rooms
- Desks in shared areas
Employees are more likely to use tissues and sanitizer when provided in convenient areas by their employer.
Microfiber Cleaning Tools
One of the key shifts in cleaning practices has been the transition from cotton cloths and string mops to microfiber textiles. Several seminal studies in the early to mid-2000s demonstrated that not only were microfiber products more effective in removing microbes, dust and other debris from surfaces, they were also more user friendly and cost effective.
A study published in the American Journal of Infection Control demonstrated that without the use of a chemical disinfectant, microfiber mops achieved superior microbial removal (95%) compared to cotton string mops (68%).
Training for Cleaning Staff
Most importantly, it's critical to remember that good cleaning products are only as good as quality training allows them to be. Teach your frontline workers how to use cleaning products effectively as well as why it's important. This action enables your cleaning staff to become sharers of information to any building occupants they encounter.
2. Promote Hand Hygiene
With an elevated state of germ consciousness as a backdrop, nearly 90% of workers report that the Covid virus motivated them to wash their hands more frequently or more thoroughly.
As a FM, you have the power and the responsibility to ensure healthy handwashing practices within your facility.
1. Install Hand-Sanitizer Dispensers
In a post-Covid world, this practice is now the norm. Make sure you've placed them in highly visible locations to promote hand hygiene.
Shop Hand Sanitizer DispensersThe use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer in US classrooms can reduce absenteeism due to infection by about 20%.
SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
2. Replace Air Dryers With Towel Dispensers
Shop Paper Towel DispensersAir dryers tend to spread germs throughout the air, which is the opposite effect you're going for. The use of paper towels can dramatically reduce viral and bacterial transmission.
3. Install Touchless Paper and Soap Dispensers, Faucets, Flush Valves and Door Openers in Restrooms
Last year, a survey found that the use of automatic or touchless dispensers in a restroom enhances over half of Americans' perceptions of that facility's cleanliness.
4. Keep Supplies Stocked
A recent Harris Poll uncovered that 68% of Americans would view a business poorly if its restroom had empty hand soap and paper towel dispensers, among other products. Be sure to stock restrooms regularly..
5. Encourage Frequent Handwashing.
Install static or digital signage that highlight key handwashing tips, like washing for a minimum of 20 seconds or the equivalent of singing the "Happy Birthday" song twice. The CDC offers several free fact sheets.
Did You Know?
World Hand Hygiene Day is celebrated on May 5th each year.
3. Provide Cleaning Products for Personal Spaces
Remember the research study we mentioned that discovered 50% of all computer mice and desk phones had ATP levels above 100?
This suggests that while people appear to take more responsibility for the cleanliness of their personal spaces, there is still a need for tools and resources to help facility tenants to clean and sanitize their personal workspaces.
More importantly, there's a need for increased cleaning products for these personal spaces. Having a clean workspace creates a positive environment and helps employees increase their focus. As a result, many savvy FMs are adding a new line item to their operations budget: personal-use cleaning products.
Consider providing complimentary personal-use disinfecting wipes, facial tissue and hand sanitizer. Doing so can help workers wash, wipe and sanitize the surfaces in their personal spaces. FMs who are already practicing this method have seen reductions in cold, flu and stomach illness by sizable rates.
The Big Takeaway
Infection control has always been integral to the facility management cleaning process, but in recent years, it has become a global priority. While the pandemic drew attention to the importance of infection prevention, it also triggered a dramatic uptick in unsafe cleaning and disinfection practices with potential health risks.
As an FM, when you actively prevent workplace infection, promote hand hygiene and provide cleaning products for personal spaces, you're creating a healthier and more productive office environment.
Moreover, you're doing your part to break the cycle of germ transmission in the office.