Jun 01, 2012
Don't Get Comfortable with Office Germs
Many of us consider our offices like second homes. We see the same people day after day, and we get comfortable. They may not exactly be like family; they may not even be friends, but they certainly aren’t strangers. There’s a kind of kinship that makes us feel at home. It’s a good feeling, but it does cause us to let our guards down, doesn’t it?
Think about it this way: When you’re in a public place, you probably avoid touching door handles at all costs, but at work, you’re eager to step in front of a friend to open the door for her. Is there really a difference between the germs of your coworkers and strangers’ germs?
That’s the thing about germs. They’re equal opportunity invaders. Your coworkers are just as likely to carry the germs that will get you sick. So, it’s time to start taking a closer look at that office door handle.
It’s time to learn about the germ magnets in your own office.
It’s time to start using that hand sanitizer a little more often.
A study released by Kimberly-Clark Professional has taught us that we really have cause to worry about germs in the workplace. Researchers swabbed nearly 5,000 surfaces in various office buildings (law firms, healthcare companies, manufacturing companies, call centers, insurance companies, etc.), and then they analyzed the ATP content of each swab. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a molecule that is found in all bacteria cells, so the higher the ATP content, the higher the contamination potential. Anything with ATP counts over 300 is considered high risk for spreading illness. That’s right: spreading illness. It’s not that these surfaces could just use a little light cleaning; they are actually considered dangerous.
Here are some of the germiest surfaces (ATP counts over 300) found in the office:
- Break room sink faucet handles (75 percent had ATP counts over 300!)
- Microwave door handles
- Keyboards
- Refrigerator door handles
- Keep a bottle of TopSani by your desk at all times.
- Apply TopSani in the morning, before you even touch your keyboard. Unlike other hand sanitizers, TopSani offers lasting anti-bacterial protection keeping your hands will be safe from germs for 4+ hours.
- Apply TopSani again right before you enter the break room. Yes, TopSani will probably still be active, but when you’re about to enter a germ factory, you may want to renew your protective layer – if only for the peace of mind it will provide.
- Tell your coworkers about what you’ve learned. Tell them about the lasting protection and how germs will never build up a resistance to TopSani. If everyone uses TopSani, the germs don’t stand a chance, and your office will become a safer place.