Safe surfaces: ready, steady, go!
When most people think about preventing infection they usually have hand disinfection in their mind. However, high touch surfaces can be the “hands” of a workplace e.g. door handles, light switches, keyboards & the computer mouse (particularly in shared work spaces), coffee machines and printers.
All of these surfaces are in direct contact with employees who may have just sneezed into their hands, or who have come straight from public transport or the toilet, and are therefore hot spots for bacteria and viruses. Even apparently clean surfaces can be contaminated. If pathogens are passed to the nose, mouth or eyes via the hands, employees can sometimes fall ill very quickly, depending on the pathogen.
Breaking chains of infection - even if pathogens come by indirect routes
Diarrhea-type diseases are mainly transmitted by direct contact or indirect contact infection routes. Tiny traces of infectious faeces residues can reach the mouth via the hands. The pathogens, mostly noro and rota viruses, can also be picked up via toilet seats or other commonly used areas such as break rooms or the canteen. Regularly disinfecting surfaces is essential for reliably preventing indirect contact infections.
mikrozid® universal and mikrozid® alcohol-free are particularly gentle on equipment – including touchscreens, smartphones and tablets. Unlike most other surface wipes, mikrozid® universal wipes have been dermatologically tested and can be safely used without gloves. Fast-acting and widely effective against E. coli, salmonella, rota virus, influenza virus and corona virus.
Know the high risk areas in your workplace
One study simulated a virus potentially spreading through a workplace using viruses harmless to humans (MS2 phages) and it demonstrated the sources of risk: The refrigerator, drawer handles, water taps in the break room, the door handle on the main entrance and the soap dispenser in the ladies’ toilet were the most contaminated areas15.
Case study: How a toddler brought a car dealership to a standstill
A study on a norovirus outbreak found that 12 of the 16 employees in a car dealership fell ill with a severe gastrointestinal infection after a meeting they all attended. Initially, a sandwich machine was suspected as the source of the infection. However, several employees then reported seeing a toddler with diarrhea in the toilets at the car dealership shortly before lunch.
And indeed, the same strain of the virus that knocked out the staff was found in the child and the baby changing facilities at the dealership. So, contrary to the initial assumptions, this sudden outbreak of gastrointestinal disease was due to a contaminated environment and not the sandwiches16.
Comprehensive surface solutions
