Office Kitchen – Make it Healthier

Believe it or not, most office kitchens are dirtier than public toilets. The germiest places are certainly microwaves and kettles and the half of the surfaces are contaminated with coliform bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal problems and severe health conditions. The research shows that 25% of draining boards, 30% of microwaves and 40% of kettles are dangerously contaminated. Also, handles office fridge are bacteria-rife. What can we do about it? How can we make our office kitchen become and remain healthier?

First of all, good hygiene practice and hand washing have to be encouraged. If we don’t do so, our office kitchens will be a space ideal for cross-contamination. Office worker usually prepare lunch on the kitchen surfaces, so it’s important to ensure these surfaces are regularly sanitized and that a soap, towel dispensers and hand and/or surface sanitizers are always available. The risk of the spreading of the pathogens is significantly reduced if employees regularly wash their hands with soap and water. So, encourage your co-workers, talk about the benefits of regular hand washing  and it will help to ensure all of you remain fit and healthy. You can even put a wall posters to remind everybody to wash their hands after using the toilette and before using office kitchen.

What else can be done for the healthier office kitchen? Several researches show that ever-present stress brought by the office life can be the reason why workers need to have snacks on hand to help them keep their energy levels in check. But, are snacks always healthy? Of course, not. In most cases, snacks can cause gaining some extra weight and that should be avoided. So, what about offering healthy snacks? What about healthy vending machines? Dried fruits, tea, decaf coffee, nuts should always be on hand for office workers. Affordable, yet healthy snacks will make a room in an office fridge and on kitchen surfaces.