Dirty phones blamed for office bugs
Over half of all UK employees would consider taking legal action against an employer if they contracted a serious illness from dirty office equipment, according to a survey carried out by Swedish consumer electronics company Doro.1
The survey found that 31% of UK office workers blame dirty equipment for their sickness absence while more than half those surveyed are concerned about the germs they can catch from their office phones, keyboards and mice and a third don’t know when their phone was last cleaned.
Doro has launched a new telephony range that claims to offer the first line of defence in the battle against the spread of workplace germs. The Doro EasyClean range of handsets are suitable for many working environments, including hospitals, dental surgeries, production plants, food preparation areas and even domestic kitchens.
The two EasyClean phone models – the aub200h and aub200h+sa – feature a surface that helps to suppress the growth of bacteria by incorporating protective barriers and are designed to have fewer dirt traps, making them much easier to clean and keep clean.
Doro’s aub200h deters the growth of bacteria through a special flat membrane keypad and design that includes minimal gaps and a high-gloss, easily cleanable surface, while a magnetic ‘hook switch’ eliminates one of the key locations where bacteria would traditionally reside.
The aub200h+sa takes the EasyClean concept further by including a silver-based compound additive known as Polygiene, which effectively suppresses microbial growth. Incorporated into the plastic, it is instantly effective and provides a permanent solution.
The aub200h+ has been proven to be over 99.9% effective in destroying MRSA and E-Coli within 24 hours of contact. However, Doro stresses these benefits should be seen as additional to the overall easy clean properties of the phone and that the best line of defence still lies in regular cleaning.
“The EasyClean range offers an everyday solution to assist in the battle against the spread of germs and can dramatically help to reduce the spread of bacteria and disease throughout the workplace,” said Doro UK md Chris Millington.
