A Clean Building Is a Healthy Building
Germs are one of the things people want to avoid most in the workplace, yet they spread so easily. As easy as opening a door, getting your favorite soft drink from a vending machine, or even from the faucet handle when you are washing out your coffee mug in the break room. When we create a cleaning plan for our customers, we want the building to look good, sure. But we know that there’s a lot more to consider than just looks. It is up to us to keep everyone as healthy as possible.
At 4M, we are all about results and creating value for our clients, and a healthy, productive workforce is very valuable. If we can keep our clients safe, healthy and happy, then we know that is a direct result of our team members’ hard work and attention to detail.
Take a look at how costly cross-contamination of germs in the workplace can be. According to a study by the Integrated Benefits Institute, the reduction of workplace productivity due to illness costs the US economy $227 billion annually. When worker’s compensation is added to the total, now we see annual costs rise to $576 billion.
While conducting a study on cross-contamination in the workplace, University of Arizona microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba found that cleaning reduces the probability of catching influenza by 80%, while reducing by 62% the surfaces contaminated by viruses, overall reducing missed time due to sickness by 46%. Elsewhere in their study, they discovered that the average employee uses 7.7 sick days per year. That is a week-and-a-half of work each year that is lost due to illness.
Furthermore, an employee attending work with a common cold costs about $280 per employee, according to Dr. Gerba. He said, “People underestimate how rapidly they can pick up a virus. Things spread in buildings very quickly.”
That is not to say that office workers need to resign themselves to spending flu season passing germs around the office. Dr. Gerba found that a thorough cleaning crew like the ones at 4M can reduce the spread of contagious viruses by 80-90%, while another study found that it can also result in a 5% productivity gain, which would lead to $11 billion of savings nationwide.
That is why our clients appreciate all of the hard work that our team members put in each and every day. Everyone at 4M plays a big role in the success of our customers. With a clean and welcoming workspace that is both safe and hygienic, we play an important part in the health, productivity and success in every building we keep clean.
