The educating of employees regarding health issues and establishing policies and procedures for both sanitary working conditions and cleanliness are definitely a good start to improving staff hygiene. A work environment that is unsanitary and poses any kind of health hazards will eventually lead to sick employees, thereby increasing the amount of time they will have to take off work to get better. Hygiene and workplace safety is a vitally important for food service employees, because of the risk of contamination and food-borne illnesses.

It all starts with the hands! Workers should wash their hands before and after touching any food, chemicals, or other contaminated surfaces and after using the toilet. Just washing for at about 30 seconds with warm water and an antibacterial soap helps remove harmful bacteria and germs on the hands.  Disposable paper towels are certainly more sanitary than fabric towels, but even better still, a professional machine like the Warner Howard Airforce hand dryer will get the drying process completed with ease, and be much more economically cheaper.

Keeping Items Clean

With regards to an office setting, desk cleanliness and equipment cleaning is important to both preserving personal hygiene and preventing the spread of disease. Keyboards, telephones, and other office equipment are magnets for bacteria that can lead to sickness. Instructing employees in helping to keep items clean with at least a weekly wipe with antibacterial cleaner or wipes, is a great idea.

Everyday areas, such as worker break rooms and kitchens, can very quickly accumulate bacteria and the spread of it. The creation of policies for cleaning these specific areas by designating a particular person or group to take turns at cleaning them on certain days will definitely help to minimize unsanitary conditions. Staff who bring food or drinks into the workplace should safeguard that they are properly sealed and stored.

Education is the Key

Educating employees about the hidden consequences of unsanitary working conditions will help to keep cleanliness and personal hygiene in the minds of staff. Posters or signs in the right working areas and bathrooms can also help to encourage workers to accept hygiene guidelines. Also, written materials or presentations on illness and food contamination can also assist in overall staff hygiene.

The staff that work with food or drink must make extra sure and take care to preserve their personal hygiene. Work policies that simply won’t allow food service workers from coming to work if they are sick will help to minimize contamination hazards. All employees should follow and accept guidelines given in the workplace that makes it necessary for them to wear clean clothes and protective coverings, such as aprons and gloves. Hair nets or beard nets are also a good idea to prevent contamination.

Keep it clean! If you don’t like being sick, why would you take the chance of making somebody else that way?