Why Good Air Quality in The Workplace is Important
Here at Cork Hygiene, we know how important it is to have good-quality air in the workplace. The past 18 months during the COVID-19 crisis have shown that people have not been taking their hygiene as seriously as they should be. A recent poll at Safety+Health magazine, states that 20% more people now wash their hands for personal hygiene reasons since the pandemic started. This is an improvement, but there are still not enough people washing their hands, which can lead to sickness in the workplace. A healthy workplace starts with good hygiene.
How Bad Hygiene Leads to Poor Air Quality
A virus as dangerous as COVID also spreads through little droplets, it spreads from an infected person’s mouth or nose in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, speak or breathe. These particles range from larger respiratory droplets to smaller aerosols. Bad air quality can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat and also cause shortness of breath.
This can be a serious problem for people at the workplace as this means employees aren’t safe while working. One of the main forms of transmission for COVID-19 is via it being airborne and so many scientists are calling for better ventilation in buildings. Even windows can improve the air quality in the workplace. It is vital that they can be opened to let fresh air from the outside come in, viruses can linger in the air from just minutes to several hours, even after a COVID-positive person has left the area.
Sanitising The Workplace
It is very important workplaces provide hand sanitiser, as employees use their hands to write up reports, shake hands with clients and open doors to and from the workplace. All these activities expose employees to harmful viruses, germs and bacteria. A massive 80% of infections are transmitted by hand, so it’s crucial to implement an effective hand hygiene program at work.
Some experts suggest COVID-19 may become a seasonal problem and say, “We will have to live with it as we do with influenza”. This means in the Summer when people are working indoors in very hot temperatures, it may lead to more people falling ill especially if they are not provided with the right equipment e.g., hand sanitiser.
Ideally, you should have plenty of hand sanitisers available in the workplace because you don’t want everyone using the same sanitiser bottle. Wiping down used surfaces in the workplace at least once a day is also recommended as viruses can spread that way. Cork Hygiene provide a range of different wipes. They are a cost-effective way of keeping a number of workplace surfaces clean regularly.
Products such as our sanitiser and PPE equipment have helped reduce the transmission of viruses by stopping infection spread throughout the workplace. The directors and proprietors of the business are responsible for the health and safety of their employees, customers and other people visiting the premises. A company can face prosecution for neglecting aspects of health and safety.
Washroom Hygiene
Washroom hygiene is also key in a workplace for air quality, it is important for somebody to check the toilets the workplace provides from time to time. Cork Hygiene have a wide variety of sanitising products and PPE equipment to suit every workplace and can also supply essential signage relating to keeping your washrooms clean.
Promoting Good Air Quality in The Workplace
Factory and office workers are found to be less productive on days when the air has high levels of pollution. It has been proved that to reach a higher score on a cognitive test in an office environment you need good quality air compared to poor.
There are many things we can do to promote good air quality in the workplace, at Cork Hygiene we are proud to announce our new range of Air Purifiers. This is a device which removes contaminants from the air in a room to improve indoor air quality. The main benefits are that it helps reduce the amount of dust and pollen which are natural problems in many workplaces.
Cork Hygiene Ltd is the “one-stop-shop” for all your cleaning, hygiene, and safety requirements. As a member of the Jangro Group, the largest and fastest-growing group of independent distributors of janitorial supplies, we are able to offer a comprehensive range of products and services at very competitive prices. We give free advice on all aspects of product use and suitability, as well as offering staff training for customers in the correct and safe use of products supplied.
Visit our health and safety information section for data sheets and risk assessments.