Touchless Technology for Your Water Cooler plus More
Do you remember when you had to turn knobs plus handles to turn on faucets, open doors plus flush toilets at work? Touchless sensors replace one’s need to interact directly with knobs, spigots plus handles, in an effort to combat sickness plus improve performance. Though we may take for granted all of the touchless technology around us, plus the many uses they serve, studies have shown that reducing one’s exposure to germs plus viruses help to keep sick days to a minimum. That is just one of the ways in which your shared water cooler may be considered “cool.” Below are four related innovations that may help us to better understand what makes your water cooler “cool.”
Your Water Cooler Post-Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical importance of hand washing in preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Yet, as the immediate threat of the pandemic wanes, maintaining rigorous hygiene practices remains crucial, particularly in the workplace. Even so, a study conducted by the American Society for Microbiology found that only 67% of Americans wash their hands after using the restroom, plus an even smaller percentage, about 50%, do so correctly. Enter the need for touchless water coolers!
In the workplace, where employees frequently interact with shared appliances such as water coolers, door handles, plus keyboards, inadequate hand washing can lead to a buildup of dirt plus germs. These high-touch surfaces become hotspots for cross-contamination, spreading bacteria plus viruses among colleagues. Research by the University of Arizona discovered that an average office desk harbors 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. Moreover, office water coolers, often a communal hub, are particularly susceptible to contamination if users neglect hand hygiene.
Poor hand washing habits can contribute to the spread of illnesses, resulting in increased absenteeism plus decreased productivity. A survey by the University of Michigan found that hand hygiene interventions in workplaces could reduce the incidence of respiratory illnesses by 21% plus gastrointestinal illnesses by 31%. These statistics underscore the need for consistent hand washing to maintain a healthy plus productive work environment, as well as the n