How Workplace Tech Can Make You Sick
Cold germs can travel through your workplace -- here's how to avoid them.
Feb. 4, 2005 — -- In this week's "Cybershake," we take note of how workplace desktops are breeding grounds for viruses that can make workers literally sick. Plus, we hear why one popular author has decided to shun cyberspace.
The kids are home sick with the flu. A fellow commuter was coughing the whole morning trip into the office. And your co-worker has been coughing so loudly all day, you can hear her from clear across the floor of cubicles. It may seem like the best way to avoid getting ill would be to hide at your own desk.
You'd be wrong though.
With the flu season in full swing, doctors and other health officials are warning once again about the hazards of germs at the workplace.
In 2002, University of Arizona researchers discovered that one of the most unsanitary areas in the office was at the desktop. With more workers spending more time at their desks, working and eating, the typical workstation is a virtual breeding ground for bacteria and germs.
According to the report, sponsored by a grant from the Clorox Company, the average office workstation can be a viral nightmare. Researchers found, for instance, that the surface of an average office telephone contains 25,000 germs per square inch -- more than 500 times that found on the typical office toilet seat. A typical desktop had more than 21,000 bugs per square inch.
Water fountain handles, microwave oven door handles and computer keyboards were also among the top five "germ-contaminated" surfaces in the office.
"People are leaving germs behind all the time," says microbiologist Dr. Robert Bogosian, founder and the medical director of The New England Institute for Infection and Immunity. And that is a recipe for catching your co-worker's illness.
"We know that people touch their nose, eyes and ears one to three times every five minutes," says Bogosian. "When they do that they introduce bacteria and viruses that may cause them to become sick."
The obvious remedy, say health officials, is to keep your workspace as tidy as possible.
"You want keep your computer keyboards clean. You want to keep your desk clean," says Bogosian. In fact, the study conducted by Arizona researchers found that a daily swipe of all work surfaces with a disinfecting wipe will remove nearly all of the potentially harmful germs.
