No Cold and Flu for You!

Each cold and flu season, nearly 111 million workdays are lost due to the flu alone in the U.S. As a result, businesses lose approximately $7 billion in sick days and lost productivity every year.

The culprit? Germs. What’s a proven way to reduce germ transmission around the office? Proper hand hygiene.

When you consider where germs hang out in the office, the restroom often comes to mind. But it goes beyond the restroom. If individuals are not practicing good hand hygiene, germs can easily transfer to common objects around the office, such as doorknobs, elevator buttons, coffee makers and water coolers − and then transfer to another person’s hands.

The simple act of communicating proper hand hygiene plays an important role in reducing the transmission of germs – and by extension, cold and flu – in the workplace. Through education and planning, businesses can help protect employees from the seasonal flu, resulting in increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, lower health care costs and other negative impacts of the flu.

The CDC defines proper handwashing as rubbing vigorously with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. During a busy day, 20 seconds can seem like a long time – and many of us are guilty of cutting that time short.

Proper drying is just as important as proper washing. Studies show that jet air dryers actually increase bacteria on hands up to 42%, and warm air dryers increase bacteria by up to 254%. Consider that for a moment − after washing your hands, they can actually get dirtier just by using a hand dryer. When you have the choice, we recommend choosing a towel.

We encourage you to make proper handwashing an everyday habit.

Whether you’re a facility manager, property owner, or service provider, Veritiv’s strategic approach and high-performance commercial cleaning products will help you to maintain a healthier, more attractive environment. Learn more at veritivcorp.com/facilitysolutions.