Bacteria laden keyboards spreading infections at work

Keyboards crawling with more harmful bacteria than the average toilet seat were discovered by Which? Computing in a microscopic study of an average London office.

Workers in contact with animals, sick people or waste material take precautions to avoid contamination, but these industries are not wholely responsible for the 1,500 reported cases of work related infection every year.

According to the research, people eating at their desks drop crumbs onto their keyboards encouraging bacteria, and dust also settles between the keys, trapping moisture. Poor personal hygiene, like people not washing their hands, spreads bacteria around and all these conditions are responsible for encouraging the growth of potentially harmful bacteria.

Twelve per cent of the keyboards checked were found to be potential health hazards, harbouring bugs like E coli and S aureus, and one had five times the levels of bacteria found on the toilet seat swabbed for the study, 150 times the acceptable limit.

Microbiologist James Francis of Kingmoor Technical Services who conducted the study says, “these results are generally typical of offices up and down the country.”

A survey of more than 4,000 Which? readers found almost half cleaned their keyboards less than once a month and one in ten never did it.

Sarah Kidner, the Editor of Which? Computing says:

“Most people don’t give much thought to the grime that builds up on their PC, but ... why not give your PC a spring clean? It’s quite simple to do and could prevent your computer from becoming a health hazard.”

There are a number of practices that a company can impliment to keep its computers clean: 

• Gently wipe surfaces with a soft, lint-free cloth. Lightly dampen (not wet) the cloth with a small amount of water or an approved computer cleaning fluid.
• Unplug your keyboard, turn it upside down and shake out any loose dust and food crumbs inside. Disinfect the surface with alcohol wipes.
• Use compressed air in short bursts to blow dust and debris off computer components. Don’t use a cloth to wipe down internal computer components.
• Headphones can be used by multiple people and can spread germs or even head lice. Wipe them with a damp cloth.