The 2018 flu season is one of the worst on record, with federal health officials saying the U.S. is on track to reach a record number of flu-related illnesses.
Yet the workplace can actually play a prime role in prevention. “With smart office design, cleaning procedures and education campaigns, companies can ensure the workplace is safer for employees,” says Bob Best, who leads JLL’s Health, Safety, Security & Environmental division.
From hands-free to germ-free
When people in close proximity pick up telephone receivers, touch door handles or use communal computer equipment, they end up sharing germs. In fact, office buildings can be more contagious than hospitals, with more than 73 percent of employees reporting that they caught an illness after a coworker showed up sick, according to office supplies retailer Staples.
One recent study estimates that working adults touch up to 30 objects per second that may be contaminated with infectious diseases. Thus, an important way to protect people from the spread of the flu is to install no-touch devices, says Best.
Offices, for example, can be equipped with electronic-sensor trash receptacles that open at the wave of a hand. Equally, there are many models of faucets and machine dispensing paper towels that are activated by sensors rather than by touch. And installing hand sanitizer dispensers near doors and in common areas like break rooms is a good prevention technique, but it is more effective if the dispensers don’t require the push of a lever.
A building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system also has a role to play. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends changing HVAC system filters more often during a flu outbreak so that the airflow isn’t recycling germs.
“All buildings are required to bring in fresh air, but the cleaner companies keep the office air, the better it is for employee health and productivity,” Best says.
Achieving the ideal ventilation rate costs roughly $40 per person per year, according to Best, while the return on investment is closer to $6,500 per person per year, according to a 2015 Harvard study on indoor air quality.
Surface cleaning
Prevention begins with design, and modern offices often incorporate surfaces that are easy to clean, such as solid countertops in a breakroom rather than germ-trapping tile and grout.
However, even the most ideal surfaces require ongoing maintenance. “Germs can last on surfaces for up to 72 hours, making it incredibly easy for people to pick up the virus — even after an office has been closed for a weekend,” says Best.