March 17, 2004—In a survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation for Kimberly-Clark Professional, 66 percent cited the flu as the health issue they were most concerned about for 2004. Last years top germs stories—SARS and the Norwalk virus—barely registered and were even eclipsed by the common cold. With heightened flu awareness people are embracing a chief recommendation for avoiding it—hand washing.
When asked what steps were most important in reducing the spread of germs, six in 10 people chose washing hands more frequently, a key recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All other choices—including flu shots—trailed.
The survey also queried full or part-time employees about how to make their workplaces healthier and more hygienic. Once again, hand washing ruled.
In a question about what people would most like sick colleagues to do if they cant stay home from work, 42 percent of workers chose having ill co-workers wash their hands as often as possible—ideally every time they touched their eyes, noses or mouths. Staying away from other people came in second. However, few went so far as to choose a more draconian option for infected colleagues—relegating them to a special “sick room” for the duration of their illnesses.
Hand washing surfaced again in a question about what bugs people most about co-workers and the spread of germs. While 38 percent of employed respondents cited co-workers coming to work ill as their chief peeve, nearly a quarter said they were most perturbed when sick colleagues didnt wash their hands after using the bathroom.
When asked how they would like to receive educational information on hand washing, nearly half suggested pamphlets, followed by videos or DVDs, lunchtime seminars, and audiotapes or CDs for the car.
What can management do to prevent the spread of germs in the workplace? The top choice among working respondents, at 39 percent, was establishing a policy requiring employees with contagious infections to stay home until they recover. Next was to have management supply an arsenal of germ-fighting products including:
- Waterless hand sanitizers for everyones desks
- Germ-killing paper towels and facial tissue and antimicrobial soaps
And installing ultraviolet lamps in ventilation systems to kill germs and disinfect workplace air.
Which away-from-home bathrooms do people think are most hygienic? Hotels were the hands-down winner, selected by 42 of all respondents. Falling far below were office buildings, restaurants, schools and universities. Manufacturing facilities and stadiums barely registered a positive response.
Because the bathroom is strongly associated with workplace germs, the survey also asked about ways to create a healthier and more hygienic restroom environment at work. No-touch systems were the top choice among workers. Next were products that capture or kill germs, such as waterless hand sanitizers or germ-killing facial tissue or towels. These were followed by audio and visual hand washing reminders, automatic disinfection of stall areas after each flush, availability of toilet seat sanitizing wipes, and disposable soap systems that are replaced when the product is used up.
The survey of 1,045 adults nationwide was conducted by telephone from December 12-15, 2003 by Opinion Research Corporation. The margin of error is plus or minus three percent. Of those surveyed, 526 were employed either full or part-time outside the home.
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