The festive season is almost upon us. For many of us, this means winding down and relaxing, and enjoying the season with our friends and family. Although the pandemic has hit people and businesses hard for the last couple of years, with the successful vaccine rollout and booster programme we can now look forward to a ‘normal’ Christmas this season. Having said that, colds and flu cases are still increasing. This means we still need to stay extra vigilant at this time of year. In fact, even your Christmas tree can be a hygiene concern. In this blog, we are raising awareness of Christmas related hygiene facts so businesses can take proactive steps to ensure people stay safe in the workplace and at home.
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Stay Safe This Christmas
- On average, you come into contact with 300 surfaces every 30 minutes, exposing yourself to 840,000 germs. Whether you have people coming and going from the workplace or if you’re hosting a Christmas party this year, be sure hand sanitiser stations are accessible to all employees.
- Did you know up to 80% of communicable diseases are transferred by touch so make sure your business provides access to effective hand washing and drying facilities to all who come and go, to reduce the spread of germs.
- 20% of people wash their hands before preparing food, and only 39% before eating food, and failing to wash hands correctly contributes to nearly 50% of all foodborne illness outbreaks. Washing your hands often is really important to stop the spread of germs, so if you have a meal planned as a part of your Christmas party or if employees are dipping their hands into the chocolate tin, be sure to remind all employees to wash their hands before eating or preparing food.
- Did you know that elevator buttons harbour 22% more bacteria than toilet seats? Disinfecting your premises before your Christmas party this year will provide your business with less risk of spreading infections.
- There are an estimated 2.4 million cases of food poisoning in the UK each year. Review how to properly and hygienically store, cook, reuse and freeze food is vital to keep safe this Christmas and minimise food waste.
- Statistics show that more people are planning to travel this holiday season as confidence increases, which is expected to translate into the New Year too. There are a large number of areas and surfaces that can become contaminated in an airport, so make sure to promote good handwashing practices to all employees and travellers to reduce infection transmission. Take the time to review what areas of the airport and aeroplanes you are cleaning and disinfecting too. Do you have a detailed cleaning regime that takes into consideration surfaces such as seat belts and tray tables as these can harbour more bacteria than you might think. Read our guide to improving airport hygiene.
- It’s quite frightening to think that shopping trollies are 361 times dirtier than a toilet door! Supermarkets can be busy places at this time of year as people head out to stock up on mince pins and cranberry sauce. Make sure your supermarket is providing hand sanitiser at entry points and surface cleaner for shoppers to wipe down the trolley handle with. As an extra precautionary measure, increase how often employees’ are cleaning trolleys down too. For more tips, check out this guide to keeping supermarkets safe for all.
- Everyone loves to see a Christmas tree when they are out and about. The sparkly lights can put you in the festive mood instantly. However, if your workplace is planning to put one up, take care. When was the last time you cleaned the ornaments or decorations? Although beautiful, they can harbour germs and people can often forget to clean them before they get put away each year. Our tip is to replace any decorations annually to ensure they don’t become a potential hygiene hazard.
Helping Your Business Solve It’s Hygiene Challenges
Citron Hygiene can help alleviate some of the pressure and ensure your facility is safe and hygienic all year round, with our range of quality, innovative solutions. Our solutions are trusted across the globe by many organisations giving peace of mind to all those who walk through the doors of your business. We have over 40 years of experience with organisations of all sizes providing best-in-class customer service, flexible contracts, and innovative products to answer that your business’ hygiene challenges. Contact us today to find out more.
