Tips for controlling workplace infections

10 Jul 2018

It’s common to get workplace infections because all staff work within such close proximity to one another, and spend every day of the week together. Workplace infections, if not controlled, can be very damaging for your company and your employees, as well as the clients/customers you are dealing with.

Obviously, the risk of workplace infections heavily depends on the field of work you’re involved in, i.e. farming and jobs in microbiology mean you are naturally more exposed to viruses and infections, which are called ‘biological agents’.

ASPLI is invested in creating a better work environment for your business, which is why we’ve provided our top tips to help you take the reins on workplace infections:

Wash your hands regularly

It may be an obvious one, but washing or sanitising your hands is so important to maintaining good hygiene and stopping infections from spreading. Keep hand gel on you at all times, particularly if you’re in a job in food preparation, farming or are heavily exposed to germs which could spread easily.

Make it your mission to educate staff on good hygiene

From day one of employee training, you should practise good hygiene and make it clear that staff need to follow certain rules and regulations during their time at your company.

Include this information in your company handbook, so staff have a good point of reference about how to handle different situations, whether it is what to clean work surfaces with after preparing meat, or how often to clean towels and equipment at a hair salon.

Each workplace will have certain infections that are more common, so it’s important you address the infections that are most likely to occur in your field of work and plan how to prevent and resolve contamination.

Refrain from sharing personal items

Whatever the workplace, it’s important you keep yourself to yourself, and by that we mean avoiding sharing personal items. If you’re working at a hairdresser, for example, be sure to change towels regularly; one client may have a skin rash or even head lice, which could contaminate both employees and other clients if not handled properly.

Sharing hand towels, brushes, food containers, mugs etc welcome cross contamination, so keep personal items separate; if someone has the flu and shares your hot cup of coffee, it’s likely you’re going to catch it.  

Concentrate on the small print of your company contract

A company contract is a great way to lock in rules about hygiene and consequently, take control of infections by making employees legally cooperate. For instance, if your business is centred around food preparation, outline how piercings of any kind are prohibited at work, to avoid contamination or unexpected infection.

Invest in proper hygiene equipment

Don’t wait for infections to happen - prepare in advance to combat them when they’re close to contaminating your workforce. Different businesses require different equipment, and surprisingly some businesses don’t take proper precautions and skimp on providing the proper work equipment to prevent and control workplace infections.

To explore health and safety aids and equipment, visit ASPLI’s website, today, to combat workplace infections.

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