Few surveys state that some typical desk items could be around seven times more contaminated than traditionally ‘dirty’ items such as toilet seats, which often get more attention for cleaning.
Keyboards and mouse are one of the major germ harbouring spots
Sharing desk equipment like pens increases your risk of becoming infected by other people germs.

Thoughts to ponder upon:

• How dirty your hands may be after picking up the phone receiver?
• If you chew pens– think about where they have been before!

Tips to Tackle:

• Clean your desk everyday with anti-microbial wipes
• If you eat at desk, wash your hands before touching food or use a hand sanitiser.
• Move the keyboard away while eating so it doesn’t collect food crumbs.
• Put used tissue and food packaging directly into bins rather than leaving on desk. Leaving food or mess around can encourage pests.

You could pick up bacteria and viruses from touching coffee machines/ water cooler after your colleagues have put their germs on them. A build up of harmful bacteria on coffee machines/water cooler can lead to cross contamination of your drink, hands or utensils.

Tips to Tackle:

• Use Tissue while pressing buttons.
• Sanitise your hand before and after using the machine
• If you have to cough or sneeze and don’t have a tissue, do it into the crook of your elbow. It keeps your hands keep clean and stops you passing the germs on to someone else.

Door handles are one of the most frequently touched objects in the office, carrying multiple germs.

Tips to Tackle:

• Cross Contamination that happens when bacteria is transferred from one person to a high touch surface like a door handle and then transfers to another personis the biggest hazard.
• Always wash your hands after using the toilet and try not to touch the door handle – Unless it is Treated with AntiMicrobial Protection.
• Use some tissue, your elbows or your hand within a sleeve to open the door.
• Before getting back to work, use hand sanitiser – especially if you’re about to eat.

Everyone uses the buttons of the photocopier and in this way you can pick up whatever germs were there on the previous users’ hands. Each time you touch a photocopier you transfer bacteria, making it ideal for spreading germs.

Tips to Tackle:

• Clean the copier with sanitising wipes before using.
• Don’t eat a sandwich or rub your eye after using the photocopier or other shared office machinery.
• Use a sanitiser gel at your desk.

How many people do you think press the “Going Up”, “Going Down” and “Floor” buttons of an elevator? The answer is – A lot!

Tips to Tackle:

• Use elbow to choose your floor
• Or after pressing the button, sanitise your hand