Terry's Ergo Tips

To help protect yourself at work during the flu season, office workers should keep their hands away from their face and wash well before eating. The best protection may be to have sick people use their own phone sets and computer components.  According to Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona, most offices surfaces have tons of bacteria.   Although Gerba and his team have seen an improvement in overall office hygiene as desk wipes and hand cleaners have become more popular,  eating at a shared workstation, while you are working at the computer, is not recommended.  

Although there are special computer components for health care applications where sterilization is required, most traditional computer components cannot be cleaned as thoroughly without damaging them.  Here are some tips from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) on the University of Michigan website for cleaning office surfaces and components:

• Clean work surfaces with a commercial product that is both a detergent (cleans) and a disinfectant (kills germs) These products can be used when surfaces are not visibly dirty.
• Another way to do this is to wash the surface with a general household cleaner (soap or detergent), rinse with water, and follow with a disinfectant. This method should be used for visibly dirty surfaces. Disinfecting products known to be effective against Influenza A (H1N1) (Swine Flu) can be found at Antimicrobial Products Registered for Use Against Influenza A Virus on Hard Surfaces.
• Use disinfectants on surfaces that are touched often. Clean the surface as explained above before using disinfectants.
  • If disinfectants are not available, use a chlorine bleach solution made by adding 1 tablespoon of bleach to a quart (4 cups) of water; use a cloth to apply this to surfaces and let stand for 3 – 5 minutes before rinsing with clean water. (For a larger supply of disinfectant, add ¼ cup of bleach to a gallon [16 cups] of water.)
  • Wear gloves to protect your hands when working with strong bleach solutions.
  • Prepare the dilution of fresh bleach every day of use and discard unused portions.
• Keep surfaces touched by more than one person clean and disinfected. Examples of these surfaces include doorknobs, refrigerator door handles, and microwaves.
  • Clean with a combination detergent and disinfectant product. Or use a cleaner first, rinse the surface thoroughly, and then follow with a disinfectant.
  • Use sanitizer cloths to wipe electronic items that are touched often, such as phones, computers, remote controls, and hand-held games.
  • Use sanitizer cloths to wipe car door handles, the steering wheel, and the gear shift.

Read the Entire CDC Article.

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Terry Snyder is the founder of P.S. Associates, LLC, providing ergonomics consulting services.  Terry has been an OEHN provider and part of our leadership team since 2006.   Visit www.PSAergonomics.com to read more about her consulting services.