Environmental Issue & Sick Building Syndrome Blog

Suggestions for Stopping the Spread of Illness in the Home

         It is really, really hard to pay attention to details and healthy practices when we are sick with a nasty bug. The only way this works in most households is to put these habits into practice before there is a sick person in the home. If you don’t have disposable plates and cups in the cupboard before illness, you are not going to the store to buy them after you are tending the sick.  

• Get available vaccines
• Wash or disinfect your hands frequently
• Use paper or disposable plates and cups
• Use disposable tissues as opposed to handkerchiefs
• Have ill household members wear a mask to protect from spreading their illness
• Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth (viruses can transfer from your hands and into the body)
  
• Have children only handle toys that can be easily disinfected before being shared

Suggestions for Stopping the Spread of Illness in the Workplace

         The best solution is to have a plan in place before dealing with the illness and human resource challenges that a sick workforce can bring to a professional organization. There are consultants that can set programs in place that can work for just about any facility. It is a matter of their establishing a system of communicating responsibility and direction for the workforce.  

• Create and communicate an infection control plan.
• Use signage to remind visitors and co-workers of best practices
• Wipe and disinfect all touchpoint surfaces and workspaces each day
• Provide soap, sanitizing wipes and boxes of tissue at convenient locations
• Put hand sanitizer and masks at the entries to the facilities
• Remove magazines and papers from waiting areas or common rooms
• Verify that ventilation and air filter systems are working properly.