6 tips for good hand hygiene in offices

Hand hygiene has never been more important. Washing hands with soap and water regularly throughout the day will reduce the risk of catching or spreading viruses. According to World Health Organization (WHO), the provision of safe water, sanitation and hygienic conditions is essential to protecting human health during all infectious disease outbreaks.

These days, despite a huge shift to remote working, many employees are being encouraged to return to the office. While the willingness to return varies from country to country, one thing is clear: despite offices restricting the number of employees in an office at any one time, in such conditions, germs and illnesses can still easily spread. 

Could employers do more to reassure staff that it’s safe to return to the office? While it can be argued that the responsibility for clean hands lies with the individual, satisfactory washroom conditions and educating people about efficient hand hygiene can play an important part in promoting positive action. 

Hand hygiene tips for the workplace

1. Ensure employees practise good hand hygiene

Washing hands regularly and thoroughly helps to reduce and remove potentially harmful bacteria and viruses. Our research shows that fingertips and thumbs often get missed during hand washing, so here’s a handy guide to getting it right.

2. Introduce simple handwashing initiatives

Simple initiatives like reminders near sinks and basins that encourage workers to wash, dry and sanitise their hands and discourage the use of smartphones in the washroom can make a difference.

A smartphone taken into the washroom will invariably end up with germs on it. People who pick up their phones after washing their hands are immediately undoing their good work and could be placing themselves and their colleagues needlessly at risk.

3. Invest in quality washroom solutions

Using kind yet effective soaps that don’t strip out natural oils can benefit people who refuse to use soap due to its skin-drying nature. You could also consider installing automatic no-touch soap dispensers and sanitisers that help to promote hand hygiene by eliminating the need for contact and — subsequently — the spread of germs.

No-touch paper and linen dispensers for hand-drying also lower the risk of recontamination by reducing the amount of moisture and microorganisms left on the hands after washing.

4. Provide your employees with hand sanitiser

Hand sanitisers to combat spreading should also be easily available around the office. It’s important to place them in and around areas such as washrooms, entrances and exits, desks, kitchens and other high-traffic areas. Not only will this help to stop the spread of germs, but it can also help improve your business’ image by demonstrating your consideration for health and wellbeing.

5. Consider common touchpoints

It's estimated that people touch hundreds of different surfaces every hour, so it isn’t long before clean hands come into contact with contaminated surfaces. Spray and surface wipes can kill pathogens and prevent cross-contamination, providing protection for high-usage items such as light switches, stair rails and desks.

6. Ensure communal areas are cleaned regularly

Businesses should ensure regular, thorough cleaning of communal office areas such as the kitchen and reception. If your office uses hot-desking, make sure that desks are cleaned between uses.

Could a clean office equal clean hands?

In 2021, we surveyed 20,000 respondents across 20 countries to examine the impact of hygiene attitudes and practices on wellbeing, employee and organisational expectations and hygiene responsibilities. Some key findings were:

• 71% of people were now more* fearful of germs transmission via surfaces in public spaces
• 66% of people said that they now wash their hands more* to protect themselves from common viruses and that they intend to maintain this going forward
• 61% of people working in shared spaces stated that they’re now likely to sanitise their hands regularly at work to manage hygiene risks

*than before the COVID-19 pandemic

With increased awareness about how viruses spread, an office setting with adequate handwashing and hygiene facilities may encourage better habits among staff as they consider the impact of good hand hygiene on themselves and their colleagues.

For employers, investing in workplace hygiene facilities could benefit their business by creating a safer working environment, decreasing absenteeism when illnesses spread and helping employees feel protected while at work.