There’s nothing fun about getting sick. From the annoying sniffles, to the constant nose blowing and sore throat, there’s no shortage of frustrations to deal with when you have a cold. Even if you do your best to stay indoors when it’s cold out and use hand sanitizer faithfully, you could inevitably end up sick this winter. Health experts have warned that this year’s flu season will be an exceptionally bad one and with vaccines only being 10 percent effective for protection.
Taking these germs to the workplace can quickly cause productivity decreases and affect the bottom line. Here are some ways to prepare for the season so it has the least impact on your employees and your business.
Keep Clean
In addition to basic personal hygiene, encourage your employees to frequently wipe down surfaces in their work space and shared areas of the office with anti-bacterial wipes to help kill viruses. Increasing the frequency of these cleanings and making the wipes readily available around the office is a great way to prevent the spread of germs. You should also encourage employees to use hand sanitizer throughout the day. Use of a hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent ethyl alcohol will help to limit spreading of the flu. These practices along with personal awareness to stop the spread of germs will go a long way in helping to keep the rest of the office healthy and working efficiently – even if there are a few employees sneezing from their cubicles.
Offer On-Site Vaccines
Even though experts are warning that the flu vaccine this year is only 10 percent effective in prevention, they still advise people to get it because the vaccine still helps with stopping the spread of the virus if you do get sick. Workplaces that offer an on-site option to have the vaccine done increase the chances that their workplace will be protected. Consider an on-site clinic if downtime isn’t something your business can endure and if keeping your employees healthy is a priority.
Stock Your First Aid Kit
The best thing you can to keep your office prepared for any emergency – big or small – is to have a fully-stocked first aid kit on hand at all times. The availability of medicines to help the symptoms of a cold will make getting through the workday more bearable for your employees. Be sure the office first aid kit has decongestants, cough drops and hand sanitizer ready to tackle this year’s flu season.
SoCal First Aid® is Southern California’s first choice for first aid, disaster preparedness, and workplace safety. Serving greater Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Ventura, and San Bernardino Counties, with first aid supplies and kits, first aid kit refills, disaster and survival supplies, OSHA-compliant protective and workplace safety gear, and on-site training for CPR, AEDs, HAZWOPER, earthquake preparedness, disaster preparedness, and more. Contact us today for more information.
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