Office biohazards - beware
| Office biohazards - beware | |
26 April 2004
The typical computer work station is crawling with several hundred times more germs than a toilet seat! According to a top microbiologist at the University of Arizona, on average, the office-bound worker each day operates in an environment polluted by 400 times more bugs than that found in the toilets. Top biohazard is the phone, which is home to more than 25,000 live microbes per square inch, says Dr Charles Gerba. The surface of the desk is next, where almost 21,000 microscopic bacteria per inch live. The keyboard and mouse harbour over 3000 and 1600 germs every square inch. To put these figures into perspective, the average toilet seat racks up a very modest 49 germs per square inch. The adjectives clatty and manky just don’t cover it. Time to get out the office wipes, and quit eating or drinking at your desk. Links in this story | |