Computer hygiene, keyboards and eating at computers?

[oshta]

Just wondered if anyone has come accross this at all before.

We have been banned from eating or drinking (even water) at computers within the department labs.

However when challenged that in the last 5 years (recorded history) there has not been a single case of computers being damaged by drink or food the facilities manager (new to his post from elsewhere) claimed that it was for health and safety reasons. With further enquiry revealing that his main concern is “a matter of hygiene” as “keyboards, etc retain rotting food particles which can be an issue” as well as damage to key boards from spilt drinks which apparently “render them unpleasant to use at least, even if they remain functional”

I have no intention of blowing it into anything bigger than it already is but I was wondering if there any people who have running into this as both my mum (doctor) and my aunt (H&S officer for a large research laboratory) laughed at the proposal of eating at computers being a H&S/Hygiene issue compared to other ‘risks’ with shared keyboards or offices in general.


Daniel

[lego batman]

http://xkcd.com/237/

[KidChameleon]

I don't know about "health and safety", but it's definitely not nice to work with a skanky, mouldy keyboard covered in encrusted grease.

Spitting on the carpet won't kill anyone but it's not nice.

[Mblaster]

When I was at uni, the official policy was no eating or drinking in the labs, the reason being to keep the labs clean from rubbish, crumbs, spilt drinks, etc. But this was never enforced, at least with the IT students, and since we were working in the labs a lot it was in our interest to keep them clean, and we did, even though often eating and drinking in them.

Do you actually get challenged about this in person, or is it just through a mass email sent out or similar? If the latter then I'd continue to eat and drink in the labs just make sure you clear any mess and you shouldn't hear about it any more.

[Ben Rogers]

At college I wasn't "meant" to drink my water at any computer but they didn't notice very often and they probably thought it was vodka anyway..

[TooNice]

Well, there's this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7377002.stm
Sharing keyboard in the first place may not ideal, but having chicken grease on the keyboard and food crumbs in between doesn't help.

[SammEl]

Well, there's this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7377002.stm
Sharing keyboard in the first place may not ideal, but having chicken grease on the keyboard and food crumbs in between doesn't help.

Pointless news article because toilets in work facilities are VERY clean - most likely cleaner than most things in the world.

Just because something is used for someone's piss etc doesnt mean it's constantly dirty.

How many times do normal people clean their keyboards in 5 - 10 years? Most likely 0.

If you dont clean anything it will ge dirtier.

Stupid study.

Touching a dirty keyboard that is someone elses is a bit yuck though - Kinda like drinking out of a dirty cup in someone elses house (if it's my cup in my house though I dont care etc). But my own keyboard isnt exactly clean and again, I dont care.

[Great Eastern]

Pointless news article because toilets in work facilities are VERY clean - most likely cleaner than most things in the world.

Just because something is used for someone's piss etc doesnt mean it's constantly dirty.

Mythbusters did this myth - everyday objects which are dirtier than a toilet seat

1. kitchen sponge (most dirty)
2. money
3. computer keyboard
4. toilet seat
5. light switch (least dirty)

The list there is from the larger sample size by UC Birkley students.

The Mythbusters also did their own test with a small sample (i.e 1 of each) and tested for 'nasty' organisism and the results were:

1. kitchen sponge (most nasty)
2. money
3. light switch
4. computer keyboard
5. toilet seat
6. cell phone
7. shopping cart
8. hotel remote (least nasty)

The biggest annoyance about keyboard IMO is when you can see the crumbs etc from where people have been eating, although this comes from someone who every so often properly cleans out my keyboard by removing keys, brushing out anything and cleaning all keys etc!

[pauldarkside]

I wonder where the toothbrush falls on that list...

[Lee H]

I wonder where the toothbrush falls on that list...

It depends on whether or not the toilet seat is closed when flushing

[peterb]

This probably is an issue with shatred keyboards - you sneeze droplets go over the keyboard, and or your hands which tehn use the mouse. Next person comes along....

We are hot desking at work, and each desk has a container of bacteriacidal wipes so that the incoming user can disinfect the desk, keyboard and mouse before use.

But in general, I'd say it is an occupational health issue that isn't always adequately addressed.

[TooNice]

Pointless news article because toilets in work facilities are VERY clean - most likely cleaner than most things in the world.

Only pointless if you can't read past the title. The article also says that the keyboard they tested had 150 times the recommended limit for bacteria and that bacteria is often as a result of people eating when they are using a keyboard, which answers the original poster. No matter if you would eat off a toilet seat, it doesn't change the fact that at least one research support the answer the OP received.

[Great Eastern]

It depends on whether or not the toilet seat is closed when flushing

Or whether it had been used to clean said toilet?

Mythbusters did the whole Toilet Flush speading bacteria a few years earlier and IIRC even their control which was far away from the bog had similar amounts of bacteria on it

[Lee H]

Just a sidenote really - Are we being too clean though nowadays?

Look at programs like how clean is your house etc and you generally see that the people living in squaller don't really have that much wrong with them. Does their immune system start to work in overdrive due to their exposure to higher levels of bacteria?

You never used to see anti-bacterial wipes, sprays and whatever years ago, yet I bet older generations worried about this as much as we do nowadays.

[pauldarkside]

Just a sidenote really - Are we being too clean though nowadays?

It's why I mentioned the humble toothbrush. It sits there building up a nice collection of bacteria between uses yet we're quite content to use something unhygienic for cleaning out our gobs.

Ignorance is bliss and some people are too paranoid over a few germs. Hell, dogs lick their arses and it doesn't kill 'em.

It's all a conspiracy for companies to sell more product. Worry less, live more

[TooNice]

Oh boy. That reminds me those 'swine flu parties'.

Basically no, I do really believe that we are 'too clean'. Nor do I appreciate when someone smells like a dog get too close (I don't care if it's harmless, it's still not very pleasant). I may not worry much about germs, but I worry even less about the 'lack of germs' weakening my immune system.

BTW, I do not keep my toothbrush in the bathroom (though that's mostly because my landlord did not provide the space for our toiletry - but my toothbrush heads have their own containers anyway).