Don’t Let Flu Season Overtake Your Office

It’s cold and flu season, and sometimes it seems like germs are everywhere! According to the Centers for Disease Control, up to 111 million workdays are lost each year because of the flu. This costs businesses an estimated $7 billion a year in sick days and lost productivity. There are steps you can take to reduce the spread of cold and flu germs, including encouraging everyone to receive a flu vaccination and to stay home when they’re sick. But because people can spread germs before they come down with symptoms, and the flu virus can live on surfaces for up to 48 hours, you’ll need to take additional steps. What can you do to prevent the flu season from overtaking your office?

Don't Let Flu Season Overtake Your Office

Implement Environmental NPIs

The CDC recommends that workplaces implement environmental nonpharmaceutical interventions or NPIs. Environmental NPIs are plans to regularly clean high-touch surfaces throughout the office. These precautions keep people from coming in contact with the flu virus on contaminated surfaces. Even if everyone in the office is vaccinated, environmental NPIs add an extra layer of protection.

Where Are Germs Lurking?

Harmful bacteria thrive on surfaces that we touch frequently. In an office, these surfaces include:

  • Buttons on phones, elevators, vending machines, and copy machines.
  • Faucet handles on sinks, water fountains, and water coolers.
  • Breakroom surfaces like refrigerator handles, microwave buttons, and coffee pots.
  • Door handles and doorknobs.
  • Telephones and computer keyboards.

Making Plans

A complete plan for environmental NPIs includes providing employees with supplies they can use themselves to reduce germ transmission. This includes adequate soap supplies in bathrooms, tissues to cover sneezes and coughs, hand sanitizer, and disposable wipes for keyboards and phones.

Professional office cleaning services are an important part of your environmental NPI plan. At Alpine Building Maintenance & Supply, we reduce surface germ transmission by:

  • Using the right equipment and supplies.  We know exactly what cleaning techniques and products to use on each surface, and we have the tools to ensure a thorough cleaning every time.
  • Cleaning the right surfaces. We focus on the high-touch surfaces throughout your office, including the ones you might otherwise miss.
  • Providing consistency. High-touch surfaces must be cleaned regularly. Our services make it easy for you to get the frequent cleaning you need to keep your office healthy.

If you’d like to learn more about how Alpine Building Maintenance & Supply can help you implement environmental NPIs, contact us today.

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