Office Buildings

Taking care of an office building is a considerable challenge but, to employees and visitors, it’s often the little things that make the biggest difference, things like never running out of toilet tissue, having a touchless towel dispenser to prevent the spread of germs, or finding a spotless tabletop in the break room. Georgia-Pacific can help you meet these demands and, at the same time, cut costs, streamline operations and fulfill your commitments to environmental responsibility.

Years of working with property managers, building service contractors and maintenance staff have helped us understand office building needs and, more importantly, how those needs constantly evolve. Our solutions help you make a positive impression and keep you ahead of the curve on increasingly important issues, such as hygiene, waste reduction, recycling and green cleaning.

Workplace tips

Does going to work make you sick? Office buildings are filled with surfaces and equipment that are shared by everyone, and bathrooms and kitchen areas in particular spring to mind as obvious breeding grounds for a diversity of germs. But if you thought office bathrooms and kitchens were unsanitary, the results of a recent University of Arizona study* will open your eyes to the multitude of germs lurking in other communal office spaces.

Would you believe that there are 400 times more germs on a workplace desk than on the toilet seat in the bathroom down the hall? Astonishingly, bacteria levels on fax machines were found to be three times higher than on the bathroom floor. Commonly touched surfaces, such as phones, computer keyboards, desktops and doorknobs, promote cross-contamination – the transfer of germs from one surface, food or person to another. Pathogenic bacteria and viruses, like those causing colds and flu, can spread quickly from sick to healthy individuals via common contact surfaces.

Employers are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact absenteeism has on productivity. But as employers and employees grow more aware of the importance of hygiene in the workplace, office and building managers can implement the following tips to help provide a safe and healthier office environment.

• Provide a cleaning toolkit for each floor, including spray cleaner/disinfectant, paper towels, and tissues.
• Establish an hourly maintenance tracking system for every restroom and kitchen area. Regularly replenish these areas with soap and disposable paper products.
• Remind maintenance staff to wipe work surfaces with paper towels and disinfectant. Phones, keyboards, computer mice, photocopiers and doorknobs are high-contact areas and need to stay especially clean.
• Post signage to encourage frequent and proper hand washing to avoid the spread of germs, especially in restrooms and areas where employees eat. Be sure to provide paper towels, preferably from a hands-free towel dispensing system, to minimize transmission.
• Encourage employees to eat in designated eating or kitchen areas. If there is no designated dining space, provide paper towels, which can be used as placemats by those choosing to eat at their desks.
• Eliminate kitchen sponges, which can become a breeding ground for potential pathogens. For small clean-up jobs in office kitchens, such as washing individual plates or utensils, disposable paper towels can be used instead of sponges.
• Remember, paper is safer. Sponges and washcloths spread germs!

* Gerba, C. 2002. First In-Office Study Dishes The Dirt on Desks.