Last Updated on 2016-05-19 , 1:53 pm
When you are sitting at your desk for eight hours everyday for 5 days a week, it is very easy and tempting to reach out and grab a snack or two and munch happily away while you are doing your work.
Most of us probably have a few varieties of tidbits on our desks right now and some companies also stock their pantry with food, which makes snacking so much easier and convenient.
We also think nothing of eating our lunches right at our desks sometimes. But do you know the danger from harmful bacteria you are facing each time you do any of these activities? The results from a research on analyzing microorganisms in the workplace conducted by the American Society for Microbiology are shocking, to say the least.
According to the researchers, they tabulated the results of offices located in San Diego, Toronta and Flagstaff, Arizona over the course of 12 months and found that there are not many types of bacteria living in the carpets, ceiling tiles and walls of these places as the dry environment in an office is not conducive for microorganisms to thrive.
However, the bacteria that the researchers found can actually survive for a few weeks, even without any water or nutrients to sustain them.
Based on the research, eating at your desk actually supplies these bacteria with the nutrients they need, which comes from the crumbs of the food that you have just ate. It appears that your keyboard and desk phone is teeming with these microorganisms and all they need to multiply is just some crumbs from the food you are eating.
Think about it, how long ago was it since you have cleaned your keyboard and phone, and we mean a real wipe down and thorough cleaning. It is now harbouring a colony of bacteria just waiting for your crumbs of food to feed them. It definitely sounds worrying, doesn’t it, sharing your space with potentially harmful bacteria.
Fret not, there is an easy solution to this. Just make sure to keep your work surfaces clean and dry, avoid eating at your desks and periodically clean your keyboard, especially the hard-to-reach places in between the keys.
Now would be a good time to reach for those antibacterial wipes and start keeping your workstation clean and tidy. After all, a space that is tidy with no clutter helps to clear your mind, thereby allowing you to have a more productive workday. Unless you subscribe to the belief of having messiness on your desk inspiring creativity juices lah!
Top Image: antoniodiaz / Shutterstock.com
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