Dirty Keyboard?

Can anything in the office be dirtier than a toilet seat? Try the computer keyboard. Microbiologist Dr Peter Wilson said a keyboard was often “a reflection of what is in your nose and in your gut”. No kidding! If someone in the office has a cold or gastroenteritis, it’s very likely for you to pick up the virus from a shared computer keyboard.

Think of the number of people who gobble their hamburger/fries in front of the computer, eat junk food or don’t wash their hands after going to the toilet. Whatever they carried in their hands now lurk in the groves among the keys of the computer keyboard. Believe it or not: research by the University of Arizona last year found the average office desktop harbored 400 times more bacteria than the average office toilet seat?

Think of the number of sick leaves and medical claims which affect productivity and cut into the operating costs of a company. Still think workers sending personal email, shopping or chatting online is harmless? The uniform of the future for office workers may incorporate compulsory gloves and masks.