Personal hygiene toolbox talk

Toolbox talk on personal hygiene.

Personal hygiene involves keeping the external body in good and clean condition. You have to maintain good personal hygiene as an employee in the workplace. Having good personal hygiene will ensure healthy living for you.

Poor personal hygiene will be an avenue that will allow germs to grow in your environment and leave you vulnerable to infection.

When you don’t practise good personal hygiene, people may try to avoid you by leaving you isolated and lonely for a long time.

In every workplace, personal hygiene should be promoted by all and not just the management since the employees have the right to a clean and safe workplace.

Importance of good personal hygiene at the workplace

When employees exhibit good personal hygiene at work, it yields good results. Among the results of good personal hygiene includes

It helps to prevent the spread of disease and illness in the work environment.
Personal hygiene promotes the good health of workers and their social well-being.
It ensures that the workplace is pleasant for others.
An atmosphere of cleanliness and safety is observed when there is good personal hygiene.
It tends to curtail distractions and tensions from poor hygiene practices.
Reduction in stress levels and tension among the employees

How to promote good personal hygiene as an employee

Personal hygiene for clothing.

Ensure that you keep your work clothing neat and clean.
Ensure that there are no holes in your work clothing. Germs or hazardous substances may come in contact with your body when there are holes in your work clothing.
Avoid wearing ripped clothing as this may cause caught-in hazards for you when working around machinery.
Always change your shoes every day and dry them. If your work exposes you to a wet environment, remember to clean it.
Avoid wearing PPE that is torn or damaged. Ensure that you store your PPE in a safe place.
Avoid wearing contaminated PPE with your bare hands.

Body hygiene

When being exposed to poor body hygiene from another worker in your workplace, it’ll impact you. Body odours can become a problem for workers and can prevent other workers from concentrating on their work.

Ensure that you bathe, shower and wash your hair regularly.
Use soap and antiperspirant regularly, especially when sitting all day.
Ensure that you keep your hands neat and as often as possible.
Avoid wearing too much perfume as some people may be allergic to it.
Always maintain your dental health. Brush regularly at least two times a day. Having bad breath may not be offensive to you but to another person.
Wear socks in your safety boot to absorb sweat from your body and keep your safety shoe free from smell.
If you have any cuts or burns, treat them effectively with appropriate dressings to avoid infections.

Sickness/Illness.

Whenever you notice that you’re sick, do not come to work.
During sneezing, remember to cover your mouth with your hand, your handkerchief or tissue with your elbow.
Remember to wash your hands with soap frequently.

When are you to wash your hands?

After each restroom visit
After handling cash (money)
After touching machines at the workplace
When you have removed your hand glove or when you want to wear it
Before and after eating
After cleaning your office or workplace

Biological hazards affect our hygiene at work.

Biological hazards affect the hygiene of persons at work. Engage in enough care to control them. Biological health hazards include bacteria, viruses, parasites and moulds or fungi. They can pose a threat to human health when they are inhaled, eaten or come in contact with skin. They cause skin irritation, allergies and infection in people. To manage and control them, you need to do the following:

Identify the areas where the workers stand at risk to them.
Assessment of those areas to ascertain the control measures to be in place. A trained health personel may be involved in this aspect.

Oral hygiene

Clean your teeth properly to prevent tooth decay, oral diseases and bad breath. Bad breath can make your colleagues stay away from you. Brush your teeth every morning and evening. Ensure that you make it a routine. Do not be in a rush to brush your teeth. Take at least 2 minutes to provide more time for all surfaces of your teeth to be cleaned. Create a time for a dental visit and make it a regular affair.

Cleanliness in the work environment.

Ensure there is adequate cleanliness in your work environment. Ensure you throw away all garbage, wipe down surfaces, and ensure all floors are devoid of materials that will cause obstruction.
Do not litter the work environment with uneaten food or dishes. Ensure that all food is in a sealed container while you keep it in the workplace.
Do not eat outside the canteen or places meant for eating.
Ensure you use the garbage bin for waste.
Ensure you notify the management about the ants and unusual droppings in the environment.
After using the microwave, ensure you wipe down any dirt on it.

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About The Author

Onyekachi Emmanuel

Onyeka Emma is a QHSE Professional, a business person, and an entrepreneur. He is very passionate about health and safety, Business and Entrepreneurship.

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Toolbox talk on personal hygiene at work

Importance of good personal hygiene at the workplace