10 million bacteria live on a typical office desk, which is 400 times more than on a regular toilet.
Your employees share the office with thousands of microorganisms daily, exposing themselves to diseases, and respiratory issues.
50 million days of work are lost annually because of the common cold, affecting the staff, decreasing productivity, and revenue while increasing costs.
This article will teach you how to best protect yourself, your business, and your employees from office-related health risks.
What Is a Corporate Office Disinfecting Service?
A corporate office, due to its nature, is a high-transit zone.
Any health threat reaching the closed space will spread in a matter of hours, potentially infecting the majority of people inside the building.
A corporate office disinfection service eradicates microscopic organisms found on surfaces.
The service does not necessarily remove visible dirt and is more efficient if a regular cleaning system is firstly in place.
How Is Corporate Office Disinfecting Done?
The service specifically targets high-touch areas, such as counters, tables, doorknobs, light switches, bathroom appliances, toilets, phones, keyboards, and tablets.
It uses EPA-approved substances on both porous and non-porous surfaces, equipment, and tools, to kill and prevent any microbe from forming colonies and infecting people.
Cdc Guidelines
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises, based on the length of time a virus can linger on certain surfaces, to perform routine disinfection to all frequently touched areas.
If a sick person was in the office, the area must be closed off, ventilated, and disinfected only after 24 hours have passed.
Hospital-Grade Disinfecting
CDC recommends the use of a hospital-grade disinfectant with proven efficiency against similar pathogens to the coronavirus.
The chemicals are capable of destroying fungi spores, microbes, and viruses, and at the same are safe to use and don’t trigger allergies.
The use of such strong disinfectants in an office area will guarantee a pathogen-free zone and a safe zone for your staff and business.
Office Disinfecting As Preventative Maintenance
It is the owner’s duty to keep his business and customers safe.
Acting only when issues arise is a considerable mistake.
Rather, to ensure that nothing goes wrong, that productivity rates are constant and everyone is protected, preventive maintenance is of major necessity.
Performed regularly, it will remove emerging health risks.
On a yearly basis, Americans spend around $5 billion due to the common cold.
The places with a high risk of spreading are offices and closed areas with heavy traffic.
Prevention requires constant facility maintenance.
It can be extremely frustrating for businesses to run day-to-day activities while monitoring the overall safety of the premise.
This is why most companies opt for professional disinfection services.
Schedule it regularly
For office sanitizing services to be efficient, they must be performed based on a regular maintenance plan.
Otherwise, the long time gap will allow germs to spread to close by living beings through direct contact or air droplets, and by then it will be too late.
Regular Disinfecting Vs. Contagious Disease Control
Outbreaks of infectious diseases are not uncommon in working facilities.
A contagious virus doesn’t require only physical contact to the skin and face to transmit.
Droplets such as those produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, breathes or talks, are enough to ensure its high spreadability.
Regular disinfection kills microscopic organisms and prevents them from further spreading.
Disinfectants contain a variety of active ingredients that have a demonstrated efficacy against a broad spectrum of pathogens.
Used regularly, they interrupt microbial transmission and result in health benefits for the staff.
Disabling Contagious Diseases
To stop the spread of contagious diseases, managers should strictly follow local protocol and guidelines, considering the type of surface and the survival time of the microorganism.
For hard, non-porous areas, if dirty, they must be first cleaned using a detergent or soap.
Then, using gloves and protective equipment, CDC recommended substances must be applied to sanitize the areas.
For porous surfaces, such as rugs, carpeted floors, and fabrics, it is vital to first clean then disinfect with proper equipment and solutions.
Seasonal Allergies
Individuals can get sick due to the allergens present in the everyday workplace.
They become tired, have trouble breathing, and are less productive in their activities.
One of the most common triggers for allergies at work are mold, dust, and pollen.
The spores reach the nose and cause symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and congestion.
If the spores reach the lungs, they can trigger asthma.
Vulnerable employees can benefit from increasing the frequency of professional cleanings and regular heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems (HVAC) maintenance.
Contact Dermatitis
Contact dermatitis is a red, itchy rash triggered by direct contact with a substance or an allergic reaction to it, and constitutes approximately 90-95% of all cases of occupational skin diseases in the US.
Many substances can cause reactions, including soaps, fragrances, and chemicals.
The business owner must be careful when choosing detergents and sanitizers, as in the workplace they are responsible for the highest rate of rashes.
Viruses
Viruses are microscopic parasites that lack the capacity to thrive and reproduce outside of a host body.
They are the cause of the common cold, but also lead to severe illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, Ebola, and COVID-19.
It only takes two to four hours for a virus to transfer from a coffee pot handle onto a person’s desk.
Influenza, Or “The Flu”
Each year, the seasonal Influenza epidemics lead to mortality, high hospitalization rates, and serious economic consequences.
This infectious disease causes high fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle, and joint pain, headache, and coughing.
Since the flu can spread through contaminated surfaces and objects, it is important that the management develops procedures to disinfect commonly touched areas and equipment.
Bacteria
Thousands of bacteria can be found in the workplace, and most of them come from humans, particularly from the skin, nasal, oral, or intestinal cavities.
It doesn’t sound pleasant, and the bacteria can be found on highly used objects, for example, phones and chairs.
Common types include:
- Staphylococcus, which causes pneumonia and skin infections and can be transmitted through direct human contact, or any contaminated environment;
- Pseudomonas, causing infection in the eyes, ears, gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, and skin; keyboards are one of the usual areas where this bacteria is present;
Allergens
Allergens are capable of triggering a response in the immune system that results in an allergic reaction.
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems are proven to collect a variety of contaminants such as mildew, fungi, and particles of dust that affect the overall health of the human body.
The removal of such contaminants from the HVAC system should be considered by all business owners as a way method to improve indoor air quality.
Coronavirus or COVID-19
Although seemingly identical, COVID-19 is in reality one strain of the coronavirus.
Coronavirus is a common virus that causes an infection in the sinuses, but most coronaviruses aren’t dangerous.
On the other hand, COVID-19 is a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 and can trigger a respiratory tract infection, which in many cases leads to death.
Do I Need A Team Of Professionals To Disinfect My Office Building?
A broad spectrum including hundreds of microbes, viruses, allergens, and bacteria constantly invade the office, brought by employees from the streets or their homes, reaching the same place everyone eats, breathes, and works.
Managing and stopping such a wide range of threats is impossible for a manager or business owner without having the proper training, equipment, and staff to efficiently and professionally deal with every single threat.
It is an ongoing battle, because the flow of people is constant, and the spread and reproduction rate of the microbes happens in a matter of hours.
You need a professional team, backed up by years of expertise, high-tech equipment, efficiency, and training. By doing so, you’ll reduce costs, and protect your employees, their families, and yourself.
When To Use A Disinfecting Service In A Corporate Office Environment?
The service can be done on a routine basis or in response to the presence of a contagious virus.
The frequency depends on multiple factors, such as the number of employees, nature of work, and office layout.
The best solution is to talk with the company providing commercial cleaning services.
They are able to give you the best advice, after a property check and risk evaluation.
Epa Regulation
The Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for approving disinfectants and sanitizers intended for use on environmental surfaces.
The substances must pass indicators such as microbicidal activity, stability, and toxicity to animals and humans.
Harmful chemicals
It is important to use EPA regulated chemical agents for sterilizing and destroying microbes, otherwise, non-approved agents can cause troubles of their own:
improper sanitizing, allergic reactions, respiratory and skin damage.
EPA Registered products
Effective disinfection works by applying chemicals to surfaces and allowing a specific dwell time to kill the living organisms, in compliance with CDC guidelines.
Make sure your company uses EPA registered and approved for use agents, efficient in destroying microbes, virus pathogens & fungi spores.
How To Choose A Disinfecting Cleaning Service
Office cleaning services are vital for the prosperity of the employees, and implicitly, of the business itself.
It can be a hassle to choose a professional service, but there are a few indicators to consider when making the decision:
- The disinfection program has to be based on the latest guidance by the CDC and WHO;
- The disinfectants used must be approved by EPA;
- Quality of staff: cleaning professionals have to be properly instructed through an accredited training program, and have proven health track record;
- 24/7 support: it guarantees flexibility, plus some procedures are better performed at night when the office is empty;
- Proven track record: positive reviews from other companies such as yours are proof that the service is high-quality and efficient;
Electrostatic spray
Electrostatic spraying is a process of spraying an electrostatically charged mist onto surfaces and objects.
Designed to kill germs, bacteria, and viruses, its major advantage is the touchless application, which means zero cross-contamination and full coverage of the surface.
The technology is also highly effective against contagious viruses, such as Aids, Influenza, HIV, and MRSA.
Professional Disinfecting Training
Servi-Tek Facility Solutions provides professionally trained staff and customized office disinfection services.
Contact us today for a free consultation with one of our specialists.
