There’s never a good time to get sick, especially when you’ve got a job to worry about. That’s why it’s important to keep your workspace clean, both for your own sake, and the sake of the other people you work with. You can even make a career out of it, with Centennial College’s Healthcare Environmental Services Management program. This two-year program is the only one of its kind in Canada and will teach you the proper techniques to keep your environment clean. It’s a particularly important career in a world where the healthcare environment is changing, and there’s a need for good infection control measures against superbugs.
Here are some of the basics you’ll learn about keeping your environment clean, sourced from Evergreen Maintenance and Queen’s Journal. It’s more than just washing hands, though that’s where it starts.
Stay home when sick
Fighting through an infection while going to work just isn’t something you should be doing. You won’t heal, and you’ll spread it around the environment, and possibly infect your fellow workers. Furthermore, if you’re in charge at a company, make sure your employees stay home, for everyone’s sake.
Pay close attention to “contact surfaces”
A contact surface can be anywhere in a building that’s frequently touched by people passing through. Some common contact surfaces include door handles, light switches, elevator buttons and desk phones. They can all serve as points for bacteria and germs to mingle and spread. So, when you’re cleaning and disinfecting an area, those are the priority and should be cleaned more frequently than anything else.
Clean your cellphone and headphones, and your computer
There are also personal contact surfaces you need to watch out for: Your cell phone, your headphones, and your computer. In fact, your cell phone could easily have more germs on it than a toilet seat, same with your keyboard. Meanwhile, your headphones can develop germs as well, thanks to spending time in a moist environment. The best way to counter this problem is to give them all a wipe down with a cleaning cloth at the end of every day.
Clean the hardest during the fall and winter months
Forget Spring Cleaning (well, don’t forget, still do it). It’s the fall and winter when infections run rampant, and it’s at these times when cleaning and disinfecting is the most important.
Beware the sponge
I’m talking about the sponge used in your workplace’s kitchen. It’s a warm, moist environment, and it’s constantly getting food rubbed on it, so it could breed all sorts of bad things. It needs to be replaced often. There’s actually another odd way to fix it if you need to use one: Zap it in the microwave, which actually nukes most of the bacteria.
Filter the Air
Since you’re probably spending most of your time inside, you want the air to be as clean as possible, which is why a good air filter is important, to remove the dust and mold in the air. If your workspace doesn’t have good air filters, bring a portable one of your own to put on your desk.
Hire (or become) the professionals
It’s important to have a healthy workspace, important enough that there are professionals you can bring in to make sure it’s clean. Using Centennial College’s Healthcare and Environmental Services Management program, you could become one of those professionals. There’s a demand for qualified environmental services managers, particularly in hospitals and healthcare facilities, and this program will change you into one. You’ll gain practical experience through hands-on lab experience and field trips. As part of the program, you’ll also shadow two different kinds of industry pros, frontline workers, and management. By the time it’s done, you’ll be ready to look after the health and safety of patients, workers, and anyone else who doesn’t want to get sick.
By Anthony Geremia