Eeew, don't eat at your desk!

Yes, all the icky stories you heard about germs and bacteria lurking around your desk are true, but because health and hygiene protocols in office environments very seldom include strict rules about food and work stations, we’re all oblivious to the dangers.

"It is without a doubt unhygienic for personnel to frequently eat at their desks as the combination of food morsels, hair and skin build up in a keyboard.  This promotes bacteria and viruses to produce and spread", warns technical director of Rentokil SA, Terry Ivison.

It’s gross, but it CAN be avoided

Work in an office? The up-side of this potential health threat is how easily it can be avoided. Apart from not eating at your desk, Ivison recommends the following hygiene-friendly tips:

• Should you make crumbs, ensure the floor around you is clear to allow cleaners to reach it.  Bins should contain bin liners to avoid residue build-up which will provide a food source for pests such as cockroaches, wasps and rodents.

• Surfaces should be kept dry and steer clear of overwatering your office plants as fruit flies thrive in damp environments.  

• On a more personal hygiene side, you should wash your hands after you’ve touched items exposed to a large amount of germs such as ATMs and public transport.   

• At the office, hot-desking should be avoided as sharing a phone is the quickest way of contracting and spreading germs.  

• As a rule, IT equipment should not be shared.