ENG

THE DANGERS THAT LURK IN DIRTY WORKSTATIONS

Sunday Herald, 9th September 2007

How clean is your office? The keyboard and monitor sitting on your desk may look innocent enough, but the chances are that it harbours all manner of crumbs, dust and exotic bacteria.

According to a new survey released last week, poor hygiene is costing the economy a fortune in lost time due to illnesses spread by the filth lurking on our desks.

You might imagine that piles of old papers, coffee dregs and a half eaten bacon roll in the corner is the hallmark of a busy professional, but in reality it is symptomatic of a growing national malaise.

"Dirty workstations are costing Britain millions of pounds every year. Most of us regularly eat and drink at our desks, but very few people bother to properly clean their workspaces, and as a result we are providing safe harbour to a huge variety of dangerous germs" says Stewart Anderson, hygiene expert of Durable.

According to the survey, commissioned in advance of Computer Cleaning Week, more than two thirds of workers feel they are exposed to all sorts of germs at work and 67% say they've been sick in the last year. University College London calculates that UK businesses lose £11.7 billion to sickness every year, and while not all of that can be attributed directly to the dirty desk phenomenon, experts believe that the figure could be significantly reduced by an office cleaning purge.

Not only would shiny desks cut illness, but they might also boost many companies' bottom lines. While 82% of us feel we would work harder in a cleaner office, an astonishing 71% believe that bad desk hygiene can cause us to take more sickies.

The Durable research goes on to reveal that 70% of offices have a cleaner - meaning 30% are responsible for ensuring they keep their own office clean. Of those who did have a cleaner, it's believed that only 3% of office cleaners actually have the right tools for the job when it comes to cleaning between the keys, leaving us susceptible to a huge range of bugs and viruses - from e-coli to salmonella.

"People should never underestimate the impact that microscopic germs can have on any workplace. Our research shows that there is a real cause for concern about desktop hygiene and to get them cleaning more thoroughly and more frequently".

Some 90% of those questioned revealed that they use their computers every day, for between 30 and 40 hours a week at work and a further 10 hours at home. The same proportion regularly eat while doing so, causing a dangerous build-up of debris with potentially catastrophic consequences.

As a result, the computer keyboard is the dirtiest item in the office environment, with only 17% describing their keyboards as clean. Despite this, most people wait well over two weeks for dirt to build up around their desks before they take action.

According to experts, the problem is being exacerbated by the increasingly popular practice of hot-desking. Some 80% admitted that they share their workstations, including the computer and phone, with at least one other colleague - increasing the risk of spreading illness. That's why the campaign is being supported by Kim Woodburn of Channel 4's How Clean Is your House? The television cleanliness expert believes that attitudes must change if we are to fight off the rising demons of the office disease.

The survey revealed that both men and women don't seem to care about sneezing or coughing without covering their mouths. Picking spots, wiping noses with hands, scratching heads and touching hair are other habits that spread germs.

"It's astounding the number of people who go to the toilet and then don't wash their hands, or retrieve things from the bin - again without cleaning their hands" she said.

"Desks can be filthy things and any items resting upon them harbours untold amounts of grime and bacteria. If you're going to put your dirty hands on keyboards and sneeze while you're on the phone, there's no doubt that you'll expose your equipment to all sorts of unpleasant organisms, so it's time we tackle this problem head on and eliminate these germs, before we all get ill".

Computer Cleaning Week runs from September 17-22. Visit http://www.computercleaningweek.com/ for more information.

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