Many are of the opinion that the toilet is the dirtiest part of a workplace, but that is not actually the case – at least not if you are to believe a study carried out by the Healthy Workplace Project in collaboration with Charles Gerbaprofessor of microbiology at the University of Arizona.
By collecting nearly 5,000 samples from workplaces, including factories, law firms and call centers, with a total of 3,000 employees, it was determined that most bacteria and viruses could be found in staff rooms and kitchens.
– You are dealing with an unregulated restaurant in many ways. People with different hygiene habits sharing a space without any regulation, Gerba told Forbes.
“Greeding ground for bacteria and viruses”
More specifically, they tested how contaminated various surfaces at the workplaces were with the measure ATP. An ATP measurement of 300 or more means that there is a high risk that diseases can be transmitted via the surface.
The investigation showed that the surfaces of some objects stood out: the handles of kitchen taps and microwave ovens were particularly dirty. As many as 75 percent of the faucets had an ATP measurement of over 300 and for the microwave ovens the same figure was 48 percent.
– A workplace that fails with daily hygiene routines can become a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses, says Brad Reynolds at The Healthy Workplace Project, to Forbes and continues:
– Lack of cleaning and sanitation, especially at high-risk surfaces such as kitchen taps and microwave ovens, can lead to the spread of colds, flu and stomach ailments.