Workplace Keyboards

Many of us work in an office or industry where we have to use a computer. Often there are multiple users on that computer or computers. Each person contributes his or her own microbes that are present on their hands. At times these microbes are disease-causing germs. Colds and flus can be spread in this manner. Bacteria like e.coli are a threat when people who use the restroom omit handwashing and then type on the keyboard. Sickdays taken by workers can be expensive so preventing illness should be a motivating factor.

One method of doing this is to provide waterproof keyboards in the workplace. These keyboards can be washed with solutions or disinfected with wipes. Some can even be washed in the dishwasher. Disinfectant wipes can clean the keyboards between users and a thorough washing or disinfectant solution can be used at the end of the workday.

Germridden Keyboards

For those of us who work in an area that is shared by other workers, here is some advice on how to avoid germs that might cause illness. People who are sick should stay home, but sometimes they are just coming down with something and do not realize it. Even healthy people can contaminate a work area with their hands. A lot of cross-contamination happens when individuals pickup germs from objects and then touch other objects with unsanitary hands.

Common places where germs thrive in the workplace are phones, elevator buttons, door knobs, restrooms, copy and fax machines, pens and pencils, and keyboards. Tests were conducted to see how contaminated these different objects were. By far, shared keyboards harbored more disease-causing germs than a toilet seat. Hard to believe, but true. Different users add their own variety of microbes to the keys and usually the keyboards are not sanitized.

Waterproof keyboards are available. Some can even be put through a dishwasher cycle to clean (but not on the heat cycle). Disinfectants can be used on them also, either disinfectant wipes or spray. A waterproof mouse that can be sanitized protects the user even further. Hospitals, schools, industrial offices, and other places could really prevent some sick days by installing these keyboards

Keyboards Don't Have To Be Germ Sources

According to the BBC News, workplaces harbor nearly 400 times as many microbes than lavatories. Sounds shocking, but true. Keyboards are big offenders because they hardly ever
are cleaned let alone disinfected. Cold and flu viruses can survive on surfaces for up to 72 hours. Foodspillls and various crumbs can support mini eco-systems of bacteria on keyboards.
Often there is more than one user/worker on a keyboard. This promotes cross-contamination that can transfer germs that cause illness. This can be expensive when it leads to employee sick days. Office equiptment can be regularily disinfected to prevent this spread of microbes. Disinfectant wipes and washable keyboards are available.