Keeping green and clean in the workplace to prevent absenteeism

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, Principaljradoff@yrgsustainability.com

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: aielloa@umich.edu

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

39

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

41

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

44

Influenza and other Respiratory Infection

Transmission occurs through coughing or sneezing

Direct contactLarge dropletsAerosol small droplet (nuclei) particles

45

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

46

Gastrointestinal Illnesses

Fecal – oral transmissionEasily spread on fomites

DesksKeyboardsDoor handlesToilet levers

Short incubation period and can cause major outbreaks

47

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

48

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

49

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

50

51

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...

53

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

55

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

59

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

61

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

62

Conclusions

Make it a priority to promote these measures and worker compliance will help reduce the impact of infectious illnesses on your business

63

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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Visit the Tork Website

www.torkusa.com