Being Aware of High-Touch Surfaces When Returning to the Office

For the past year, you have lived inside a sterile bubble called home with almost hourly sanitizing of high-touch areas. Although the risk may not be extremely high, people can become sick from touching simple objects around the office and then touching their mouth, face, eyes and nose. With work-from-home life coming to an end, there are some things to keep in mind when returning to a shared workspace with high-touch surfaces.

Your Personal Space

In your own home, you have the luxury of not fearing germs that might be lingering on your countertop. If you clean it regularly, it likely doesn’t pose much of a threat as you and your family are the only people touching it. Returning to a shared office is a different story. There are more people’s germs to consider, including the germs they bring in from outside, such as their families, grocery store, gym, the gas station and the post office.

The office presents several opportunities for socialization and small talk with coworkers throughout the day. If you’re taking a break to get a drink at the water cooler or sitting down for a meal in the lunchroom, there is a good chance you won’t be alone. While this offers some relief from the stress of solitary work, with health concerns to think about, it might introduce new stress you hadn’t previously considered. You are touching high traffic areas from the moment you walk into the building, open the door, and touch the elevator button.

Entry Door Handles

The door handle of the office entryway is the first high-touch area in the workplace. Each employee, customer, client, delivery person and maintenance worker walks through the same entrance, in contact with the same door. When entering the office, use your knuckles to push open the door. Or use a tissue that you can dispose of after you make contact with the handle. Sanitize your hands when you get to your own office with soap and water or sanitizer when a sink is unavailable. Your office has likely incorporated hand sanitizing stations at the front entrance and in some hallways. Use the automatic hand sanitizer frequently and often. 

Elevator Buttons

Imagine how many people ride up and down an elevator in one workday. Use your knuckle rather than your finger to push the button and sanitize with an alcohol-based sanitizer when you get to your final destination. If you have a choice, allow someone else to press the button but don’t be “that person” who waits for someone else to reach out for it first.

Bathroom

The flush of a toilet can cover the restroom with germs. Everything from the flusher to the sink handle may be tainted. Use a paper towel or toilet paper to flush, turn the handle and touch the door. According to  Harvard’s Health blog, Dr. John Ross suggested using your foot to flush, kick open a door, or pull a door open whenever possible. It’s a matter of comfort level and consideration. If you feel uneasy or disrespectful using your shoe to flush a toilet that your coworkers will use, a double-ply paper towel may be a good alternative. As long as you’re washing your hands thoroughly, you will be protected from those nasty germs on high-touch handles.

Lunchroom

The coffee pot, coffee filter and are all potential transmitters of germs. Anything that is kept wet can encourage bacteria growth, so it’s important to wash and dry them after every use. Put the sponge in a place where it gets plenty of circulation to dry out between uses and consider tossing it rather than throwing it in the dishwasher when it starts to smell musty. Toss it before it starts to smell, rotating every two weeks at the most. Also, make sure to wipe off surfaces such as counters and the table several times a day and definitely before every use.

Keyboard and Technology

Keep a lint-free cloth or a disinfectant wipe with at least 70% (90% preferable) alcohol, and sanitize your keyboard frequently. The Yale environmental health and safety guidelines suggest unplugging electronic devices before cleaning them and ensuring the cloth or wipe is not soaked but moist. Use this method to clean office phones, cell phone screens, and laptops to ensure they are kept sanitary.

Returning to the office poses some risks for high-touch surfaces, but ultimately it is an exciting time. Life is starting to appear normal as we go back to how things used to be, albeit slowly. Bring a travel-sized bottle of hand sanitizer with you to the office, your own bottled water to avoid the cooler, sanitizing wipes, tissue and masks to wear when a client is feeling uncomfortable are all signs of forward motion. You don’t have to let prudent safety measures stop you from enjoying the return to the new normal.

For more information check out The Protocol School of Texas. You may also like How to Make the Transition Back to the Office After Working Remote. For more of Diane’s etiquette tips read her posts on Inc., subscribe to her articles on The Huffington Post, “like” The Protocol School of Texas on Facebook, and follow her on Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.