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What defines the term “commercial environment”? Is it a shop, an office or a warehouse? A restaurant, airport or gym? The answer is, all of the above and more, and all of them are party to what we call the “unseen spread” of dirt and bacteria!
No matter the industry, cleanliness is always a top priority – dirty areas can lead to health hazards, bad feedback, negative press exposure and even legal action (especially in areas where food is prepared and consumed), so it’s extremely important that it is treated as such.
Wiping visible surfaces and floors isn’t enough – no matter the working area, certain procedures have to be followed to ensure optimum hygiene and cleanliness standards are adhered to at all times! Just because something looks clean, doesn’t mean it is clean, and dirt and bacteria can quite easily still be present yet undetectable to the human eye.
The best way for dirt and bacteria to spread is through everyday use. Take a computer or laptop keyboard, for example. Anyone using a computer on a regular basis will be constantly adding to the load of skin particles, dust and general debris that occurs with constant use, and this can even affect the keyboard’s performance if it becomes bad enough. The same applies to other devices such as tills, fans, telephones and even door handles, and unless they’re taken apart and cleaned regularly, the dirt will build up but not necessarily be visible on the surface.
In a food environment, unseen bacteria can also spread easily – raw meat such as chicken is well known to be high-risk for bacteria such as campylobacter, salmonella and enterococcus, and when it has touched a preparation surface, this needs to be cleaned thoroughly with appropriate cleaning products to ensure it is killed off. If not, this bacteria can easily spread to humans and cause infections that cannot easily be treated – at best, causing a mild case of food poisoning; at worst, life-threatening and debilitating conditions such as Guillan-Barre syndrome, caused by the ingestion of campylobacter.
Washrooms are obviously another critical area to keep clean and hygienic; a recent study into the microbes found in public restrooms undertaken by the Applied and Environmental Microbiology section of the American Society for Microbiology showed that over 77,000 distinct types of bacteria and viruses were present even after regular cleaning (bearing in mind some of these would have been dead or dormant as the genetic testing detects them regardless of status), and approx. 45% of bacteria detected was of faecal origin, unseen to the eye but present on seats, taps and even the floor! Out of all the cultures grown, the strongest and most often detected bacteria was Staphylococcus, as well as traces of MRSA, HPV and even the herpes virus.
It’s important not to panic though – every environment on earth populated by humans contains bugs and we need them to continue living – our immune systems cannot adapt to the ever-constantly evolving world we live in without coming into contact with different bacteria. What is important thought is that appropriate and thorough cleaning processes are in place to ensure a widespread contamination of potentially dangerous bacteria is not allowed to take place.
The best way to stop the unseen spread of bacteria is to take precautions and use specific cleaning products designed for different environments. For example, a product that has been formulated specifically for use in a washroom and sanitary area should not be used in a kitchen, because the concentration of chemicals will have been composed to treat the different environments and their risks accordingly.
As the owner or manager of a commercial premises, it is also really important to ensure that a regular cleaning and maintenance schedule is in place – for example, if your office uses the services of a cleaning company, they need to come regularly and complete a set list of tasks that include thorough cleaning of areas such as toilets, sinks and kitchen appliances. Commercial washrooms should all have facilities for customers to wash their hands with anti-bacterial soap, and if you have urinals, putting in devices such as urinal screens will help to keep them hygienic and free-flowing, especially if paired with an automatic dosing and cleaning system. Those working in a food preparation area need to keep raw and cooked meats separate, and adhere to strict handwashing and hygienic procedures at all times!
Implementing and sticking to strict cleanliness and hygiene procedures is the best way to keep the spread of bacteria under control, minimising the risks to both staff and customers and ensuring a safe working environment.
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