27/02/2012 By Peter Brooks
All water coolers are prone to biofilm build up and contamination. Whilst the former of these is inevitable and actually quite normal its presence is a factor in the risk averse UK market. Contamination on the other hand is a far more serious issue.
In the first part of Office Water Cooler’s series on cooler hygiene we looked at the importance of regular and efficient sanitisation to maintaining water cooler hygiene in the workplace.
In this the second part of Office Water Coolers’ info series we look at some more top tips for countering contamination and keeping bacteria at bay.
Ensuring Tap Quality and Maintenance
As mentioned in our previous series the water cooler taps are the biggest culprits in terms of attracting bacteria. It is therefore more important to ensure these are cleaned thoroughly than any other component within the water cooler system. Some taps are better at others in their ability to be removed, taken apart and cleaned although all of them will contain an internal grommet which compresses to cease water flow. These are made of softer plastics that tend to be more attractive to biofilm and as such require a proper working over during the cleaning process. At Office Water Coolers we only stock high quality products and all our taps are removable for cleaning.
Promoting Personal Cooler Hygiene in the Workplace
Maintaining a constant level of water cooler hygiene is something that cannot be achieved with scheduled cleaning alone. Encouraging staff to regularly wipe down the taps with special anti bacterial wipes is just one method of preventing the spread of germs and bacteria. Peroxide sprays are also available and are very effective at killing bacteria (peroxide breaks down in water to form water and oxygen). Office’s can also put up easily visible guidance near the cooler to promote the use of wipes and sprays, especially to those with colds.
© 2012 Office Water Coolers
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