How to Prevent Cross Contamination in the Workplace

Cross contamination is when you transfer bacteria or viruses from one location to another. For example, if you touch a doorknob that has germs on it, then touch a light switch, the light switch can be cross contaminated. It is theoretically possible to cross contaminate anything in the workplace. However, cross contamination is most likely with high-touch areas.

Preventing Cross Contamination

The first step to preventing cross contamination is to encourage great hygiene practices in your employees and customers. If you can get them to wash hands frequently and correctly and use hand sanitizers when they are unable to wash their hands, you can dramatically decrease the amount of cross contamination in your workplace.

The next step is focusing on high-touch surfaces. High touch surfaces vary depending on the nature of your business and how it is set up. However, in most places high touch surfaces include doorknobs or handles, light switches, desks or countertops, shopping baskets, bathroom door handles, faucets, and telephones. Obviously, not every workplace will have all of these items. To determine the high-touch surfaces in your office, spend some time observing those things that employees and customers touch most frequently.

Once you have identified high-touch surfaces, then you need to include them in a disinfecting routine. You can use disinfectants or sanitizers on them daily or multiple times per day to help reduce the spread of disease. That can help. However, it is only as effective as the next set of dirty hands to touch the surface.

Prioritising Washroom Hygiene

That is why washroom hygiene is so important. You need to encourage your employees to wash their hands thoroughly and appropriately. That means washing hands for soap and water for a period of at least 20 seconds. You should wash your hands frequently. At a minimum, you should wash hands before and after food preparation or dining, after using the washroom, and after touching any high-touch surfaces that could be contaminated. To keep from recontaminating your hands after washing them, you should turn off the faucet without touching it. You can also use a paper towel to grab door handles to leave the washroom.

Cross Contamination Solutions We Offer

We have washroom solutions that can make hygiene easier. We have hands free solutions for soap and hand sanitizer. Combine them with touchless faucets and restroom doors you can push open without using your hands, and you can passively improve hygiene. We also offer plenty of hand sanitizer dispensers. Place them throughout your business to give people options when they cannot wash their hands.

Ready to find out more? Contact Flick. We can analyze your business and help you come up with a comprehensive plan to help reduce workplace cross contamination.