Amasht Hygiene E-news | July 2013       A clean workplace can translate into fewer sick days, higher morale and productivity   Have you touched an office phone, light switch, keyboard, doorknob or copier today? Depending on how clean they were, you could become sick in a few days or bring bacteria to your co-workers and family. Winter cleaning may be more important than Spring cleaning. Commercial buildings are buttoned up tight against the winter which is good for energy conservation. But reduced fresh air flow along with the arrival of the cold and flu season means workplaces are an ideal place for the growth and spread of germs - and a dramatic jump in sick days. Besides a person’s health, cleanliness of the work environment has a direct effect on employees’ health, mood productivity and attendance. “The trillions of bacteria on any given surface are a primary cause of illness. Depending on the surface, a bacteria’s lifespan can vary from just a few hours to several days or even months. Health-care experts say that cold and flu germs can live from a few minutes to several days outside the body. They are more likely to stay active on hard surfaces - such as stainless steel and plastic - than on soft surfaces or fabrics. Flu viruses live longer than cold viruses. Temperature and humidity also have an effect on the life cycle. Bacteria could live on soft surfaces for days in the case of a sponge, weeks on clothing, or months on carpet. Steam cleaning of softer surfaces kills bacteria quickly. If a soft surface or material smells odd, it usually indicates that a surface is crawling with bacteria. The odor is from gasses that bacteria give off as part of their living, breeding and eating. Regularly sanitizing surfaces reduces bacteria. Washing hands often and thoroughly is considered the best way to fight catching someone else’s germs. Here are several factors that can lead to an unhealthy work environment:   •   Employees are working longer hours, often in space that’s teeming with bacteria     •   Reduced office space forces employees to work in closer proximity to colleagues - shorter distances for germs to travel •   An increasing number of workers eat in their work space •   People who sneeze, cough or yawn without covering their mouth •   Workers who leave the restroom without thoroughly washing their hands Article Source: http://www.indusbusinessjournal.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?   You should rinse your hands and lather up with soap for about twenty seconds, remembering to wash the front and back of the hands and scrub the nail areas. In the even older days people didn't wash much at all! Some people thought that washing yourself could make you weak. People would wear scent and stick their noses into a bunch of flowers if the smell was bad when they walked through the streets.   If you don′t want to receive this newsletter, please click on ′unsubscribe′ Amasht Paper Hygiene Products Pvt. Ltd., S.No.23, Thergaon, Pune 411033. email: amasht@vsnl.com    www.amasht.com Please click here if you can′t view the newsletter properly.