Encourage cleanliness and sanitisation in your place of work

The global health crisis of 2020 has had an impact across every aspect of life including our work lives, more specifically how and where we work. As restrictions slowly lift and individuals consider returning to the workplace, clear and effective processes are required to maintain cleanliness and reduce the spread of microorganisms. There are a range of guidelines stating the precautions that should be taken to maintain personal hygiene and encourage sanitisation, particularly in communal areas such as offices, kitchens, break rooms, healthcare and aged care facilities and hospitals.

In a time where the health of employees is a key concern, sanitisation is increasingly important. Sanitisation is crucial in preventing the spread of microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria and reducing the rate of infection. It is essential that doorknobs, workspaces, desks and other surfaces are sanitised to reduce the risk of employees coming into contact with potentially harmful microorganisms. High-traffic areas such as floors and bathrooms should also be sanitised regularly and thoroughly as they are often breeding grounds for bacteria. It’s important to remember that not all sanitising products are created equal. For the most effective clean, use a sanitising solution with a high alcohol content and be sure to clean any surfaces with soap and water beforehand to prevent any oil residue or dirt from interfering with the effectiveness of the sanitisation products.

Employees should also be reminded of the correct techniques for hand washing to prevent person-to-person transmission of bacteria and viruses. Guidelines advise that individuals should wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water to kill any bacteria or viruses picked up from social interactions or contaminated surfaces. Hand sanitiser can also be used if you are unable to access soap and water on the go. It’s important to remember that your sanitiser should contain over 60% alcohol to be effective and should only be used when the hands are not already dirty or contaminated with other chemicals.

Disposable gloves and other commercial kitchen supplies can be particularly useful in maintaining a high standard of sanitation in workplaces across various industries. Disposable gloves are commonly used to create a barrier between the skin and potentially contaminated surfaces, and can be incredibly effective in preventing the spread of bacteria in communal and high-traffic areas around the workplace. Disposable gloves should ideally be replaced every 30 minutes.

There are a range of commercial kitchen supplies that can be used to educate employees and aid the implementation of safety processes. The Fildes Food Safety range of educational posters are available to be distributed around the workplace to encourage the upkeep of best practices for safety and hygiene:

• Hand sanitising stations are popping up everywhere to prevent the spread of infection. Take a look at our poster with tips on how to sanitise the hands effectively.
  
  
• The Fildes poster on how to wash hands correctly can be placed strategically to promote key personal hygiene messaging.
  
  
• The top ten habits of dirty hands poster encourages employees to wash their hands regularly and create awareness of how what they touch can contaminate clean hands.
  
  
• The Fildes first aid poster can be used in all workplaces to educate staff and reinforce processes in the case of an emergency.
  
  
• This poster on fire blankets should be used as part of a safety plan and be placed accessibly in case of an emergency.

Visit our Workplace Education page for resources that can be easily distributed around your place of work.