Water coolers and safe drinking water for staff
As the Government announces plans to cease pandemic measures, teams are returning to the office on a full-time basis or a hybrid of working from home and the workplace. So make sure your water cooler is clean and dispensing safe drinking water for your team.
It is still uncertain times as we understand the new rules, advice, and guidelines and what that means to employers and their teams. Keep up to date with the latest news. It means we must live with Covid, like the flu, and so health and hygiene has never been so important in keeping us safe as we make further changes to the way we live and work.
Social distancing, wearing face masks and washing your hands regularly at home and at work are steps that we are all too familiar with and can continue to do so – but it’s no longer going to be mandatory. We still need to be mindful that the disease and germs are not going away so let’s make sure our teams are still safe and healthy.
We know that germs can spread from contaminated surfaces such as door handles and worktops; lift buttons and phones, so frequently cleaning these high-touch surfaces can help control infection from a common cold or worse. The office water cooler is no exception with its shared surface.
Here is some practical advice about sanitisation and hygiene so that staff are protected and fully aware of the risks of infection and can continue to stay healthy while refilling a reusable bottle to keep hydrated.
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- Install signs near any drinking equipment, advising staff to wipe the tap, button or lever, not to touch the fountain tap with their mouth or the mouth of their reusable water bottle and to clean their refill bottles regularly.
- Provide adequate sanitation facilities (wipes and anti-bacterial hand gel) for people using the dispensers. Also, ensure anti-bac soap and hot water is available in all bathroom and kitchen facilities and gels on door entry and exit points.
cooler sanitisation kit[/caption]
Sanitise your water cooler regularly
Like most things in life to keep your cooler or water dispenser in tip-top condition, it requires a little bit of regular TLC.- Sanitisation is the cleaning and sterilisation of the key parts of a cooler or water fountain, especially the tap mechanism. Regular sanitisation increases the lifespan of your water dispenser for optimum operation, energy efficiency and cooling performance. Water dispensed from a properly maintained cooler should be the same quality as the water before it enters the machine.
- Wipes and foam sprays remove biofilm and other bacterial matter.
- Don’t forget the drip tray which harbours bacteria and stagnant water that can be harmful and affect the smell and taste of your drink. Empty and clean the drip tray regularly. To prevent dirt build-up and water leaking from your cooler, simply remove and empty the drip tray. It only takes a minute to do! From time-to-time check that the pipe connections are good by having a quick look around the water cooler to check performance.
