Rentokil Initial managing director (Pacific), Andrew Stone, explains the importance of workplace hygiene to break the sickness cycle hurting Australian businesses.
During winter 2022 Australian businesses faced a sickness cycle like no other, as a new Omicron wave largely driven by the highly infectious BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants coincided with a spike in super colds, flu cases and other respiratory illnesses.
Contagious diseases, from influenza to COVID-19 and monkeypox, don’t seem to be disappearing any time soon. Which is why workplace hygiene, and the need for cleaner indoor air, will continue to be a critical issue for our communities.
Businesses need to create safer, healthier working environments for their staff and customers by adopting a best-practice, 360-degree approach to hygiene. This is especially true for sectors that need their staff to physically be present in the workplace. Those most exposed to COVID-19, influenza and other respiratory illnesses are the workers required to be in regular, close contact with the public.
Influenza and COVID-19 are both highly contagious, airborne viruses, and simple measures such as hand washing alone are not enough to combat the spread.
Businesses should be doing more to take hygiene seriously, not only by regularly sanitising both hands and high-traffic work surfaces, but also by prioritising air hygiene and ventilation. Access to well-equipped and clean washrooms is also no longer negotiable.
Implementing best-practice hygiene helps to keep the most vulnerable in our community safe and can also prevent the spread of illness.
High rates of illness in the workplace, particularly when large numbers of people are sick at the same time, can have a devastating impact on business, from increased sick leave and absenteeism, to reduced productivity, and emotional exhaustion and burnout amongst staff due to increased workload.
Over the past 18 months, people have become increasingly savvy about hygiene. From Rentokil Initial research, we know that almost three quarters of Australians (74 per cent) believe businesses with poorly ventilated spaces need to do more to protect the public from airborne transmission risks.
It’s completely reasonable for customers and employees to expect that the air they are breathing indoors – whether a public space or a private business – isn’t dirty, toxic, or going to make them sick.
Air purification plays a crucial role in improving the quality of indoor air, particularly in spaces where natural airflow and ventilation, including opening windows and doors, is not possible. In this scenario a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, which removes most micro-particles from the air, including dust, pollen, mould, odours, and smoke, should be the bare minimum.
Businesses affected by the sickness cycle should be considering devices that also decontaminate the air. UV-C technology uses short-wave ultraviolet light to essentially deactivate viruses, bacteria, mould, and other pathogens that manage to pass through the filter system, preventing them from spreading.
Choosing solutions which incorporate UV-C technology, such as VIRUSKILLER, is one way to provide an extra layer of protection, with the device proven to be 99.9999 per cent effective against airborne viruses and pathogens, including Coronavirus*.
Ultimately, the creation of healthier, safer environments positively impacts the wellbeing and mental acuity of staff, reduces time away from work due to illness and increases productivity, staff retention and satisfaction.
As high rates of absenteeism continue to affect staff, customers and businesses across Australia, the return on investment delivered by a long-term hygiene strategy cannot be underestimated.
* When independently tested against Coronavirus DF2 (a surrogate for Coronavirus), Adenovirus, Influenza and Polio, the unit was found to kill 99.9999% of viruses on a single air pass.
About the Author
Andrew Stone is the managing director, Pacific, Rentokil Initial. Rentokil Initial is a global hygiene leader, with operations in more than 60 countries and over 115 years’ experience in the hygiene industry. To book in a free hygiene audit visit: initial.com/au