With Covid-19 still being ever-present in our minds, and the British weather meaning we’re never quite out of the cold and flu season, many business owners want to know how they can reduce and prevent the spread of infectious diseases in the workplace.
What are infectious diseases?
Infectious diseases are illnesses caused by germs, such as bacteria and viruses, that enter the body, multiply, and can cause an infection. Some infectious diseases are contagious, meaning they can spread from one person to another.
What are common diseases spread at work?
The most common disease spread in the workplace is the common cold. However, more serious, and even chronic, diseases can spread quickly through a workforce if actions aren’t put in place.
For example, Legionella is a type of bacteria found in water systems, such as office block cooling towers, which can create fatal diseases, like legionnaires’ disease.
What is the difference between cleaning, disinfecting and sanitising?
Cleaning, disinfecting and sanitising – all words that are interchangeable for one another, right?
Wrong! There are differences between these three methods:
Cleaning
The act of cleaning removes dirt and germs from objects or surfaces. It works by using soap and water to physically remove germs from services. Cleaning doesn’t necessarily kill germs, but by removing the germs on a surface, it reduces their numbers and lowers the risk of spreading infection.
Disinfecting
Disinfecting a surface works by using chemicals to kill the germs that are present. This process doesn’t always clean a surface or remove the germs, but by killing the germs left on a surface after cleaning it, disinfecting does further reduce the risk of spreading disease.
Sanitising
Sanitising is the process of lowering the number of germs on a surface to a safe level, as judged by public health standards.
Sanitising works by either cleaning or disinfecting the area or object to lower the risk of germs spreading.
How Facilities Management companies can help to reduce the spread of diseases in the workplace
Facilities management companies that offer commercial cleaning services are specialists in ensuring premises are clean and hygienic enough to pass health and safety regulations. They create a planned maintenance schedule, so that you know that your needs will be met consistently. Because of this, they are reliable and you can be sure that you are properly sanitising your workplace.
Hiring a facilities management company to take on your commercial cleaning also saves you time. A professional hygiene team will be responsible for all aspects of your office cleaning, such as routine office cleaning, window cleaning and waste management. This means that you won’t have to use in-house staff to clean your workspace, allowing them to focus on the more important and relevant aspects of their role, which could also boost productivity.
A facilities management team can also save you money. You don’t need to hire an in-house cleaning team, and our commercial cleaning team here at Dependable bring all of the cleaning products that we need with us, so you don’t need to purchase a thing.
With a facilities management company, you also have access to a wide range of additional services. This means that you will be able to use one company to complete a wide range of property maintenance and management tasks, which allows for greater peace of mind and could reduce your maintenance costs.
How Dependable can help
At Dependable, we offer a wide range of hard and soft facilities management services, including commercial cleaning. Please contact us today to discuss your requirements and find out how we can help you.
