Why sanitation is important in a workplace

The last thing you want is for them to be turned off by a messy, unorganised and dirty workplace. Not to mention, words travel faster than light. A client or a supplier will be unlikely to take you seriously if they have the impression that you are not keeping your offices in order.

How can they trust you with more serious tasks, like their business? Consequently, they may decide to take their business elsewhere. If your workplace is unhygienic, there is the possibility that an important visitor may get sick, leading to even bigger problems for your company image. Psychology says humans and animals are wired to be repulsed by filthy environments and disease.

Nobody wants their office space to be the place where somebody got ill. Perfect office hygiene will prevent that from happening. An unhygienic workplace increases cases of employee absenteeism, costing your business a considerable amount of money.

If you have substandard hygiene in the office, expect more and more employees to take sick days. By implementing proper work hygiene, you will be able to stop harmful viruses and bacteria from spreading all over the office, ensure a safe and healthy work environment, and reduce health risks for everyone. These efforts include ensuring sanitary washrooms are equipped with hand washing stations and supplies, as well as feminine hygiene units.

The benefits you will reap from a hygienic workplace makes it all worth it. Making sure that your workplace adheres to basic standards of hygiene will help diminish the spread of disease-carrying bacteria and viruses that can be rampant in shared spaces like office kitchens and washrooms.

Many employees are oblivious to the fact that their workstations, especially their desks, are a common breeding ground for germs and bacteria. The average office desk contains times more germs than a toilet seat! Help them keep their workplace environment sanitary at all times. An unhygienic workplace packed with bacteria means that everybody in the office is a potential carrier of a disease. They can transfer it to their families and friends and, if you are dealing with a highly contagious disease, it can even start a mini-epidemic.

If your workplace is being cleaned on a regular basis, there is a very slim chance of accidents occurring resulting in employees getting injured. This also means that a filthy office increases the chance of accidents such as slips, trips, and falls. Provide items such as these so that your employees have a clean and hygienic workplace.

Employees are more likely to use these items if they are readily available. Make sure that your workplace is cleaned regularly. This will help prevent the spread of infections, and a cleaned workplace also maintains morale and a sense of professionalism. Basic hygiene in the workplace can be attributed to four different things: personal hygiene, cleanliness of the work area, clean toilet facilities and a clean kitchen. Personal hygiene refers to the cleanliness, appearance and habits of employees.

Personal hygiene of employees can be a sensitive issue for business owners for obvious reasons. An official policy will help alleviate any inconvenience, as employees will understand what is expected of them.

Criteria may include showering, the use of deodorant or perfume, facial hair care and hair washing. Washing hands and the use of hand disinfectants is also important as protection against the spread of disease. Workplace hygiene guidelines should also require that each employee cleans and maintains his or her own workplace or work areas.

The hygiene policy could include regular cleaning of surfaces with disinfectants. This would lead to a drastic reduction of infections and diseases. As a rule, the policy also includes keeping the area tidy and free of clutter. Supply the toilets with hand soap, toilet paper and towels or hand drying equipment.

Ask your employees to practice personal hygiene after using the facilities. Some companies hire an external cleaning service to clean the toilets. However, if employees are required to maintain the facilities themselves, the occupational hygiene policy could include details such as the frequency of cleaning and the type of products used to clean the floor, toilet bowls and washbasins.

As the kitchen is a communal environment, it is important that good hygiene is maintained. Regular cleaning and maintenance of utensils and equipment is a must in any workplace hygiene policy. This assigns responsibility for the cleaning task and ensures that it is done.

Employees who are dissatisfied with the level of workplace hygiene can complain if they feel that the standards of cleanliness are poor enough to pose a health risk. For businesses that prepare food or have a canteen kitchen, different rules apply depending on the state and the sector.

However, if an employer wants to avoid unjustified dismissal, he must ensure that the dismissal is not harsh or unreasonable. For example, the hygiene problem must be a significant disturbance in the workplace. In addition, the employee must be given the opportunity to improve or address the problem.

Write, create and implement a hygiene policy. This is the best first step in talking to an employee about personal hygiene. It also gives you a background and context that will help you when a serious conversation is needed.

In general, remind employees about personal hygiene. Even if you want to discuss the subject with an employee, avoid embarrassment by reminding all employees of your expectations. Since hygiene is a sensitive issue, make sure that your communication is delicate. Talk to them in private. If you want to talk to an employee about a specific topic, pull him aside and talk to him in private. A clean-desk policy sets out the employer's expectations for an employee's desk to be clean. For example, it can require employees to put all documents in their drawers before they leave.

Regular wiping of the desk can also be specified in a clean desk policy. The following rules are some suggestions for office kitchens. Commercial kitchens may follow other rules. Food safety and hygiene are important because they help to make a workplace healthier, more productive and happier. A hygienic workplace is a healthier workplace. Effective dishwashing ensures that all equipment is sanitary and ready for use when required.

Using soiled or dirty china is not only dangerous, but it will tell customers that the operator as little or no regard for customer safety. Table 2. Before washing, scrape dishes and pre-soak any items with hard to remove residue. Then follow the procedure in Table 5, depending on whether you are using a high- or low-temperature dishwasher or you are washing dishes manually. Never towel dry. Routine Equipment Maintenance Most kitchen equipment is intended to be disassembled for cleaning.

Some equipment is intended to be cleaned in place. This should be identified in your sanitation plan and cleaning schedule. All equipment must be routinely cleaned and inspected. Older equipment may have nooks and crannies where dirt and bacteria can hide, which can be difficult to clean effectively.

Proper cleaning procedures must be established and followed at all times with regular review to ensure that procedures are working. If equipment is replaced or cleaning materials change, the process may have to be adjusted.

If you notice any safety concerns with the equipment while cleaning it, such as a frayed cord, missing guard or loose parts, let your supervisor know immediately. It is imperative for safe food-handling outcomes for all workers to be familiar with standard sanitation and hygiene practices. Figure 6 shows the cycles of transmission of micro-organisms.

One of the basic principles is to break the cycle by avoiding cross-contamination, which can be achieved by ensuring personal hygiene practices are followed.