Your social life is making you sick

Let's view the process pre 2000. I remember where I was working when this changed. They had a pile of industry magazines to "pass the time" whilst you were "sitting it out". Naturally we all knew that these magazines were being handled by our colleagues but we also knew we'd put them down and clean our hands before leaving the toilets. 

Now? We pull our phone out and check Facebook, the news or whatever. Once we are done we put it back in our pocket, leave the cubicle and wash our hands. When our phone rings we pull it out of our pocket and stick it to the side of our head.

Now, let's head back to the last millennia. I'm asking you to rub one of those magazines against your face. Will you? Of course not but now our relationship with our media has changed.

I have just gone to google and searched "phone bacteria". Immediately I have my answer. Your phone has over 18 times more bacteria than a toilet seat (including "170 times the acceptable level of faecal coliforms" aka "poo"!) and yet you answer it!

What can your washroom services supplier do for you? Almost all of them can provide anti-bacterial wipes in a tidy dispenser. We aren't going to change people using their "private time" for private business. In fact businesses should be grateful if their staff are multi-tasking in the toilet. We can, however, make sure that their hand hygiene process involves cleaning their phone before their hands. 

ABC Hygiene has created a free A4 poster for you to print, laminate and stick to the back of the cubicle doors. It even has a QR code linking to our full article. If you want us to print it out, laminate it and send it to you just contact us using the form on the page and we'll do that too.

Don't forget to share this article…..and then wash your hands!

Written by Justin Thomas, ABC Hygiene