Many businesses suffer negative consequences from sick employees, whether they are in the office and suffering from a lack in productivity or they are having to take time away from work to improve their health.

In the United States, sick employees cost the US economy $576 Billion each year in losses due to decrease in productivity and employees unable to work.

When employees are sick, they often struggle to accomplish what they normally can under healthy circumstances or entire projects may have to be put on hold if the employees are not able to come into the office.

Because of these negative consequences, it is important for employers to be proactive in preventing sickness in the workplace.

Maintain Clean Air Quality

One of the most common ways for illnesses to spread is through contaminated air. Soot, bacteria, allergens, dust, mold, toxins, pesticides and fertilizers can all be captured in air particles and inhaled by the occupants of the building.

Luckily, there are products on the market that can assist in keeping air clean.

Vacuums, such as the GP 127, use extensive filtration to capture any harmful particles and leave behind clean, breathable air. The GP 127 uses 4 stages of filtration, including dual HEPA filtration, that ensures that nothing harmful can be released back into the air while vacuuming.

Clean floors

Carpeting can hold a lot of harmful particles, such as formaldehyde. Because of this, it is crucial to stay on top of cleaning carpets.

One way to do so is through “Dirt Defense”, in which dirt is cleaned up on the outside (such as sidewalks and parking lots) before it can make its way inside and into the air. 94% of all dirt and soil is brought in by pedestrians from the outdoors; per every 1500 pedestrians 100 grams of dirt is brought in during dry conditions and 1200 grams of dirt can be brought in by wet conditions.

Products, such as floor sweepers, can clean areas such as sidewalks and parking lots to remove dirt before it is able to enter the indoors and contaminate the environment.

As for the dirt that does make its way indoors, vacuum sweepers can be very useful in the removal of dust and allergens as they can clean floors at high productivity rates.

Products such as the SmartVac can effectively vacuum carpeting at fast rates (5x faster than backpack vacuums and 10x faster than upright vacuums).

With the increase in productivity, it can be a lot easier to maintain areas, even those of high traffic, to clean floors and the effective removal of particles help significantly in air quality.

Not only can vacuum sweepers can clean floors faster, they also can work to trap harmful particles. The machines vacuum up the dirt, which is deposited into a hopper and is then sucked up by the vacuum motor and trapped before being able to return back into the air.

Keep Surfaces Cleaned, Especially High-Touch Surfaces

Surfaces such as desks, door knobs, light switches, keyboards and toilets can be hotbeds for germs as they come into direct contact by many in the office. When germs are left behind on these surfaces, they can multiply rapidly and spread illnesses throughout the office. Germs for illnesses, such as the flu, can live on surfaces for more than two hours and be multiplied up to 6000x if not cleaned immediately.

Products such as microfiber cloths are very helpful in cleaning these surfaces. They have tiny fibers that are 10x finer than the human hair which can penetrate pores and capture germs left behind on surfaces, while traditional cotton cloths will just spread the germs around.

Along with microfiber, there are products such as the Cleano which can be used as a sanitizing solution that can clean surfaces much faster than standard cleaning methods.

The Cleano uses pad holders (10” and 16”) that cover 3x more surface area than cleaning by hand and can be used with extension poles to clean high surfaces safely from the ground, reducing labor by 50%. With being able to clean higher surfaces and at faster rates, surfaces that typically get neglected, such as walls and ceilings, can be cleaned. Because of this, much less germs are left behind to be touched or inhaled by employees in the office.

Chemical-Free Cleaning

Chemicals can be effective for cleaning, though the use of too many can have harmful effects. Chemicals released into the air can lead to damage in the respiratory system, potentially causing bronchitis, fibrosis, asthma complications or allergies.

The Cleano, previously mentioned, can be used chemical-free as well for cleaning surfaces such as windows, tables and desks, without the need for chemicals and microfiber cloths.  With their high absorbency, they can clean with 95% less chemical, helping reduce chemicals released into the air,.

Following the above tips can help lead to healthier, happier employees and increased productivity in the office. For information on products that can help to create healthier environments, click here to contact IPC Eagle and schedule a demonstration.