How to avoid spreading colds at work

If you're under the weather, you can avoid spreading your cold in the workplace. Here's how.

If someone has a cold, the fastest way for it to spread is for the employee to come to work. This is particularly applicable where there is air conditioning.

• Colds spread by droplet infection, so a sneeze can infect other workers in a confined space very quickly.
• Many people feel obliged to come to work with a cold for fear of losing pay or making their attendance record look bad.
• If someone has a cold, however, the best place to stay is at home.
• Making this acceptable within the organization will reduce spreading infection.

With colds spreading through droplet infections, ensure there are tissues in an office. These encourage people to use them and not sneeze openly.

• Putting a hand in front of the mouth when coughing also helps reduce the spread of a cold.
• Hand washing is vital so anyone with a cold should be washing their hands frequently to avoid spreading germs to surfaces.

One of the dirtiest places in an office is the computer keyboard and desk. Apart from lunch crumbs, a keyboard can hide thousands of germs.

• Some offices have wipes for cleaning keyboards and desktops, which helps reduce the spread of bacteria.
• Ensuring other surfaces are cleaned and disinfected regularly, such as the elevator buttons, photocopier, water fountain and door handles, will also reduce the risk of picking up a virus.
• If there are communal coffee mugs and cutlery in the office, then make sure they are cleaned in high temperatures and not just rinsed under the tap.
• This helps reduce the amount of bacteria lurking on these items which could potentially spread colds.

Colds are unpleasant at any time of year, but winter generally sees outbreaks that spread through schools and workplaces. Thankfully, there are a number of ways to cut down on the spread. By taking a few simple actions, the spread of the winter cold may not be happening so easily in your workplace this year.