Many office workers fear when flu season approaches. In most cases, Flu season starts around October or November. Flu season affects many people throughout the colder months of the year, often lasting until May. The National Health Survey found that the flu is responsible for people missing 75 million days of work. Missing out on work negatively affects both the worker and the business. It’s important to know areas in an office where large amounts of germs are present. Here are four important areas to keep clean during flu season.
- Office Desks
Statistics show that one out of every three employees shows up to work while being sick. It’s wise to hire the help of a cleaning service, especially when dealing with sick workers. You’ve likely told employees to stay home while they are under the weather. Unfortunately, certain employees will still show up to work while they’re sick for various reasons. It’s impossible to tell when every employee is sick and needs to be sent home. Cleaning services help to ensure that your office remains extremely sanitary. - Telephones
Many workers in an office have their own telephone. Certain areas of the office may share a telephone, increasing the amounts of germs passed from one person to the next. The average office telephone has over 25,000 germs per square inch. You’ll find that, during colder months of the year, many of these germs are going to cause the flu. Office cleaning services will utilize specialized cleaning solutions and equipment, allowing workers to use telephones without worrying about the flu. - Elevators
Not everyone realizes how many germs are found on elevators. Many workers touch elevators buttons each day, especially in larger office environments. You’ll never know which employees that are touching elevator buttons have clean hands. Cleaning and janitorial services will ensure that both interior and exterior elevator buttons don’t spread germs to everyone in an office. - Door Handles
A lot of germs are spread by people contacting a dirty surface. The average office has many doors throughout the facilities. If one worker shows up sick, any door in an office can become filled with germs in a moment. A cleaning service regularly cleans door handles throughout an office, helping to stop the spread of the flu virus.
In closing, there are several areas in an office known to harbor germs. Many workers spend the majority of their days sitting at desks. An office telephone is often used by more than one worker at a time. If workers are sharing office telephones, it’s likely that more germs are being spread. Many workers in larger office environments use an elevator multiple times throughout a given day. It’s imperative to keep elevator buttons thoroughly cleaned. Workers have to use door handles to access different parts of an office. One sick worker opening and closing doors can have an entire workplace starting to feel ill. Many offices reduce the spread of the flu by enlisting the help of a cleaning service.