Facility and Risk Management Tips

Roughly 90% of our lives are spent indoors and the past few years have highlighted how our well-being is directly affected by our physical surroundings. The office environment, especially, is different now than ever before.

We are in an age of shared workspaces. Spaces may be smaller due to more people working remotely, and workspaces may be shared if employees are on hybrid schedules. It is more important now than to be diligent about keeping these areas clean. Not just decluttered. Not just with the trash thrown away. And, further beyond a general clean sweep. These are public spaces, typically high-traffic areas. Offices and workspaces require an extra step to disinfect to ensure that the space is safe for you and the next person coming in to work.

At Solid Rock,  we have identified  five tips for maintaining a cleaner, healthier work environment for everyone.

1. Avoid Eating At Your Desk

While “desk dining” is convenient, it truly is a bad habit. It can leave behind a mess of crumbs and stickiness all over the work area. A designated area where employees can eat minimizes desktop dirt while providing co-workers with a gathering place to relax. As a bonus, a designated eating spot is great for workplace culture and employee well-being.

Half-empty coffee cups and water bottles are breeding grounds for germs and bacteria and should be kept away from work areas as well. Think of how easily beverages can be knocked over and spilled onto keyboards, papers, and office supplies.

2. Dirt At Your Fingertips

Here’s a scary thought, researchers at the University of Arizona found that the average desktop has 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat.² From E. coli to Staphylococcus aureus, office supplies, the desk surface, and the cracks and crevices of keyboards are ideal for harboring bacteria from hands that have touched everything throughout the day. Desktop bacteria come from the skin, mouth, and nasal passages, so it is especially important that shared workspaces are cleaned and disinfected regularly after use.

3. Handle With Care

From the moment you step into the office, your hands touch everything that someone else has touched. Bacteria can multiply quickly on high-touch surfaces such as door handles, light switches, desks or tables, and keyboards. Regular cleaning using a disinfectant to wipe down commonly touched hard surfaces is a good way to stay ahead of spreading germs and maintain a healthy work environment.

4. Maximize Janitorial Services With Smart Sensors

Get better results using both! Just as sensor technology tracks the energy use of appliances, automatic window shades take advantage of daylighting, or wrist-worn monitors track personal health, cleaning services can be streamlined with sensor technology to be more effective

Select A Green Team

Thinking well into the future to ensure a clean and germ-free work environment as possible, many architects and builders consult “green” design teams. Through the specification and purchasing of verified sustainable products, 

5. Maintaining Cleanliness and creating a standard operating procedure. 

Maintaining a clean, healthy work environment falls upon everyone’s shoulders. It can start with green design and the selection of building materials based on how they will impact human health as well as the sustainability of resources. Smart sensor technology can be utilized to help janitorial crews work more effectively with a focus on cleaning high-touch areas. Everyday objects such as door handles and light switches to building materials like paint and upholstery can be made with built-in antimicrobial technology, providing long-lasting protection against the spread of germs while providing an overall cleaner office environment. 

At Solid Rock,  we have developed twelve (12) tailor made quality control measures when properly implemented ensures service delivery is effective and efficient thereby giving all our clients a peace of mind. Quality control measures such as

Finally, each and every employee can help maintain a healthier workspace—don’t eat or drink at the computer, throw away garbage, and wipe hard surfaces with a disinfectant before leaving. Here’s to good  health!

At Solid Rock, we are behind your business success