While this shouldn’t have been the case, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus how hygiene between person and person can end up impacting a lot of people. We have seen how infection can transmit as easily as simply standing near someone. But what does that tell us about how sickness can spread through workplace hygiene, and hygiene in general? It tells us that there’s a lot to know. And a lot of it is interesting! Here are 8 interesting facts about hygiene.
The 5 Second Rule Doesn’t Work!
This one feels obvious, but the age-old myth about the 5 second rule is something that holds no weight.
In case you’re not aware, ‘the 5 second rule’ is a rule whereby if you drop food on the floor, you can eat it again if the food has touched the floor for less than 5 seconds.
This is mostly an old kids routine and has no basis in facts. There’s a surprise.
There is a Whole Load of Bacteria on your Body.
There is said to be between 2 million and 10 million bacteria on your hand and your elbow at any one time. It’s when you take this into account that you realise just how simple it is to get sick. So, what is the best way to avoid these bacteria becoming a problem? Washing your hands. Which brings us nicely on to our next facts…
More of you Should Wash Your Hands!
This is where the workplace hygiene facts get a little gross. According to a study, only 26% of global bathroom use results in the user washing their hands with soap. This is a crazy statistic, and while this stat is from 2020, we hope that’s changed somewhat across the last two years.
While some have tried to explain away this because of its whole world aspect (with this including countries with less access to cleaning water and products), the stat actually sees that even in the more income-rich countries in the world, that stat becomes 50% – still way too low.
Because Hand Washing Works – Especially for Workplace Hygiene
And we’re sure this will be a surprise to nobody, but hand washing works! It is thought that washing your hands regularly can help reduce respiratory illnesses by up to 44%. Destroying the bacteria that builds up on your hands can help avoid passing illnesses on to other people. Which makes the stat above this one slightly more concerning!
Workplace Hygiene – Touching Can Cause Illness
This will also come as no surprise to anyone, but 80% of illness comes through touch. COVID-19 has shown that isolating the virus can have a strong impact on minimising the spread, so it is no surprise to say that touching between people can cause a serious spike in sickness!
They are just some facts that should encourage you to take care of your hygiene. This should be the same about when you enter the workplace. Direct365 offer a number of products and services that can help your employees stay clean and healthy in the workplace, while reducing the spread of possible sickness.
For more information, visit our products site to discover a wide range of workplace essentials.
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