A sudden, high fever. Aches and pains. Sore throat and cough. The symptoms of the flu virus wreak havoc on your body, but they can also affect your business. Every year, over 111 million work days are lost due to the flu, totaling approximately $7 billion dollars of productivity losses each year. The virus can take a huge toll on affected businesses, but you can avoid a flu outbreak among your employees by stocking your restrooms with high-quality paper products and restroom supplies.
After getting a flu vaccine each year, the best action one can take to avoid the virus is to practice good hand hygiene. Old-school soap and water remain the best preventative measures, but antibacterial hand sanitizers can also be effective in spreading the infection if they are alcohol-based.
Hands should always be cleaned before preparing food, before and after caring for a sick person or being around someone who is ill, before eating, after coughing or sneezing, after a trip to the restroom and after touching anything that may be covered in germs, such as a grocery cart, public telephone, trash or raw food. Educating your employees about these practices, plus providing quality hand sanitation supplies, is the key to reducing the spread of infection and germs in your facility.
Combined, education and the availability of hand sanitizers can cut absenteeism in the workplace by up to 20 percent. In schools, absenteeism can drop up to a remarkable 50 percent when students and teachers learn about good hygiene and have access to hand sanitizers.
To encourage good hand hygiene and reduce flu infections in your workplace, follow these tips:
- Ensure that hand soap dispensers work and that sealed refills are available.
- Establish guidelines for good hand hygiene and post them in restrooms and other areas where people congregate.
- Place hand sanitizer dispensers in common areas, including near restroom exits.
- Invest in touch-free dispensers that increase use and reduce the spread of germs.
Danville Paper and Supply can help you spread good hand hygiene habits instead of germs. Check out our online catalog for hand sanitizers, antibacterial soaps, dispensers and more restroom supplies in Danville, Illinois, to keep the flu out of your facility this season.
