keeping green and clean in the workplace to prevent absenteeism
DESCRIPTION
www.torkusa.com Common colds cause an average of 8.7 lost work hours a year to businesses. Absenteeism costs businesses $660 per employee per year. Infectious illnesses are unpredictable, but prevention is key. Practice hand hygiene, cough etiquette, social distancing, and get your vaccinations regularly. Visit the Tork Better Business Center at betterbusiness.torkusa.com for business tips and advice.TRANSCRIPT
Josh Radoff - Tork Green Hygiene Council, Principal at YGR sustainability
Dr. Allison Aiello - Tork Green Hygiene Council, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan
Keeping Green and Clean in the Workplace
BuildingsCompanies
Communities
Education
Marketing
YRG sustainabilityconsulting - education - analysis
Josh Radoff, [email protected]
www.yrgsustainability.comTwitter: @YRGreenFacebook: YRG sustainability
AgendaWhat is sustainability?How does sustainability relate to wellness?Opportunities to encourage wellness
What is Sustainability in the Office Environment?
Definitions of Sustainability
Triple Bottom Line
People Planet
+
Profits
+
Green Office
Better performance
Happier employees
More money for resources
Better facility to teach sustainability
Reduced absenteeism, healthier occupants
Greener homes to go back to
How Does Sustainability Influence Wellness?
Goodfor
People
Source: usgbc.org
BETTER TEST PERFORMANCE
SCHOOLS
EARLIERDISCHARGE
HOSPITALS
PRODUCTIVITY INCREASE
OFFICES
INCREASEIN SALES PERSQUARE FOOT
RETAIL
INCREASEDPRODUCTION
FACTORIES
What does sustainability look like for the work place?Perkins + Will
Daylight
Low VOC
products
Controls
Exterior
landscaping Restaurants and
grocery with local
foods
Interior
greenery
Stairwell to
encourage
interaction
Open work
areas
Access to alt
trans
Quality
Lighting
Getting to and around the work place
Great Places to WorkWindrush
School : El Cerrito, CA Y2E2 Building : Stanford University
Access to daylighting
. . .
Stanford Y2E2 Building : Boora
Architects Clackamas High School : Boora
Architects
Access to daylighting
. . .
. . . and fresh air
Comfortable Spaces
Lighting Quality
Texture
Flexible, Open Working Spaces
Building Integrated Landscape ‐
Interior
Increase Collaboration / Reducing Transportation
Feedback for Smarter Buildings and Engaged OccupantsSource: Lucid Designs
Exterior Landscaping and Open Space
Rooftop Gardens
Access to Fresh Healthy FoodU of O Urban Farm
Low/Non-Toxic Cleaning
Low VOC products
Ventilation
Opportunities to Encourage Wellness
Tapping into Loss Aversion will Only Get You So Far
Embracing Occupants
The Power of the Sticker
Remind People What You Want
Feedback for Smarter Buildings and Occupants
Source: The Fun Theory –
www.thefuntheory.com
Make it Fun
Feedback for Smarter Buildings and OccupantsSource: Lucid Designs
Using Occupant Feedback for a Smarter BuildingSource: Center for the Built Environment – Occupant Survey
Start a green team to lead the efforts
Transmission of Infection and Prevention in the Workplace
Allison E. Aiello, PhD, MS
Email: [email protected]
38
Prevention in Public HealthThe promotion of health by application of multiple strategies before there is detriment to health and manifestation of disease
VaccinationHealthy behaviorsEducation
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Sustainability as a Preventive Measure
Prevents harm to the environmentUltimately improves public health
40
How Does Illness Impact Your Business?
One billion colds occur annually in U.S.
Adults average 2-4 colds/year, children 6-10
Common cold causes an average 8.7 lost work hours
75 million days are expected to be missed during flu season
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How Does Illness Impact Your Business?
1996 survey from NCHS for viral respiratory illness
• 62 million cases of colds needing Rx• 45 million bed ridden days• 20 million days of missed work• 22 million days of missed school
Likely a vast underestimate
42Fendrick, A.M (2003) American Journal of Therapeutics 10, 193-202
How Might Your Bottom Line Be Impacted by Illness?
Absenteeism costs businesses $660 per employee per year
Colds cost $16.8 billion annually
Costs associated with seasonal influenza
$37.5 billion in economic costs • Influenza & pneumonia
More than $10 billion in lost productivity
43Fendrick, A.M (2003) American Journal of Therapeutics 10, 193-202, CDC
Flu Facts
Seasonal Influenza
Every year 5-20% of the U.S. population
More than 200,000 are hospitalized
36,000 die from flu-related illnesses
At risk: elderly, children, pregnant women, chronic underlying conditions
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Influenza and other Respiratory Infection
Transmission occurs through coughing or sneezing
Direct contactLarge dropletsAerosol small droplet (nuclei) particles
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How Contagious are Infected Individuals?
Influenza as an example- from one day before symptoms develop to up to 7 days after onset of illness
Young children might potentially be contagious for longer periods
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Gastrointestinal Illnesses
Fecal – oral transmissionEasily spread on fomites
DesksKeyboardsDoor handlesToilet levers
Short incubation period and can cause major outbreaks
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What Can You Do to Prepare For Infectious Disease Outbreaks?
Flexible in responseNot predictableVarying levels of severity
Reduce transmission among staff
Protect those at increased risk
Maintain business operations
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Key Indicators of Response
Disease severity in communityState and local health departments
Extent of cases/prevalence
Amount of worker absenteeism
Impact of disease on vulnerable
School dismissals or closures
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What Can Businesses Do?
Understand normal seasonal absenteeism rates Monitor for changes
What is the threshold at which essential business is affected?
Practice good prevention efforts
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Good Hygiene Practices Can Keep Your Employees Safe
Does it reduce infectious illnesses
Prevents direct contact transmission
Aiello, AE, Coulborn, R, Perez, V, Larson, EL. American Journal of Public Health. In Press
Efficacy of Hand Hygiene?
Overall hand hygiene resulted in:
21% reduction in respiratory illness (95% CI, 5% to 34%)
31% reduction in gastrointestinal illness31% reduction in gastrointestinal illness
Aiello, AE, et al. (2008) Effect of hand hygiene on infectious disease risk in the community setting: a meta-analysis. Am J Public Health. 98(8):1372-8152
Top 9 Reasons Why Students Don’t Wash…
1. Unnecessary2. Too busy3. Forget4. Product not conveniently located5. No sink/facilities available6. Out of product7. Product irritates my skin8. Do not like the available products9. Other reasons...
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What About the Workplace?
Approximately 58% of Approximately 58% of employers do employers do nothingnothing to to encourage hand hygiene in the encourage hand hygiene in the workplaceworkplace
54
When Is it Critical For Employees to Perform Hand Hygiene?
Before
Preparing foodEating foodDressing woundsCaring for “at risk” person
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When Is it Critical For Employees to Perform Hand Hygiene in Work Environment?
After
Using the bathroomHandling certain foodsContact with contaminated surfacesWiping/blowing nose, coughingBody fluids, woundsCaring for an ill person
56
Other Methods of Prevention for Employees
Prevent aerosol and droplet spread
Cover mouth/nose when coughing/sneezing
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
Provide tissues, paper towels and no-touch disposal receptacles for use by employees
Consider masks
57
Other Methods of Prevention
Reduce contacts
Instruct employees to stay home for at least 24 hours after symptoms are gone
• Out 3-5 days on average
Plan to operate during significant levels of absenteeism
58
US National Archives, 2008
Other Methods of Prevention
Explore ways of improving accessibility of vaccination
Work with insurers to explore if they can cover the costs of influenza vaccination
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Shift to Environmentally Friendly Products
Popularity of household and personal hygiene products that are biodegradable, phosphate-free, and “natural”
“Green Cleaning” laws for schools in New York
NYS law requires all public and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools use environmentally sensitive cleaning products
Protect human health and the environment without sacrificing product effectiveness
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/facplan/greenclean.htm60
Engineering and Infrastructure Changes
Ventilation and Directional Airflow
Benefit: Reduces need for intensive compliance
Automated delivery
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Summary
Infectious illnesses are unpredictableVaccines and treatments uncertainAbsenteeism profound impact on business
Prevention is keyMulti-prong approach
• Hand hygiene: direct contact• Cough etiquette: aerosol/droplets• Social distancing (staying home while ill): reduce
contact• Vaccination: reduce transmission
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Conclusions
Make it a priority to promote these measures and worker compliance will help reduce the impact of infectious illnesses on your business
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Please visit the TGHC website at www.torkgreenhygienecouncil.com and click on the “Environmental Resource” tab to download this presentation and access the links.
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