9 safe ways to drink water
Staying safe with everything we do has never been so important. The COVID-19 pandemic has stopped the world in its tracks and forced us to change habits and behaviours that previously we wouldn’t have given a second thought. Now, even the most basic of everyday tasks carries with it an element of risk and adapting to this new normal continues to quite literally be a matter of life and death.
Although the risk of spreading germs and viruses through the use of water dispensers is small, there are small actions we can take to give an added layer od protection and contribute towards peace of mind.
One of these tasks is the essential need to keep ourselves and our colleagues hydrated and refreshed throughout the day. Pre-COVID, using a water dispenser in a shared work environment or public space required little planning or consideration. Approach with cup, cone or sports bottle (all recyclable and reusable of course!) and dispense. Touching buttons and surfaces that had already been touched by others was considered a modest risk we were willing to take in order to quench our thirst.
However, things are different now and, although the risk is small, we need to be doing everything within our power to stay safe and secure every time we need water at work or when we’re on the move. ‘So, what can I do?’, I hear you ask. We have highlighted nine safe ways to drink water, helping you, your colleagues and others who are all sharing the same facilities to stay hydrated in the most hygienic way:
- Wash hands – Wash hands or keep a hand sanitiser within easy reach and apply before and after using a dispenser.
- Cover coughs and sneezes – Keep clean tissues handy and a bin to dispose of them, or wear a face mask.
- Keep your distance – Keep a safe distance of at least 1 metre from others at the water dispenser.
- Go hands-free – Use dispensers with touchless features such as foot pedals and infra-red to avoid touching buttons and dials.
- Use protection – Select dispensers with built-in antimicrobial technology that continually work to keep surfaces clean.
- Keep it clean – Use a disinfectant to sanitise the dispenser regularly, paying attention to taps and buttons.
- Drink purified – make sure your drinking water is UV purified and not just filtered to ensure bacteria-free water.
- Wash and waste – Wash glassware and bottles in a dishwasher and dispose of single-use cups after every use.
- Remind users – Place instructions on social distancing and hygiene on or around the dispenser.
Each point on its own is a positive step in the right direction, but it’s only by combining all of them together that we can ensure the safest method of accessing great-tasting, purified water. It’s critical that we are always thinking about our actions to provide the kind of safe and secure environment we all want.
Helping keep employees safely hydrated
Waterlogic have put together a paper entitled ‘Water dispensers in the workplace’, designed to help authorities and organisations put the necessary protocols in place to eliminate the risks of water dispensers in the workplace and keep employees safely hydrated. The paper provides peace of mind that water dispensers are fully included in COVID-secure plans for returning to work.
Waterlogic offers safe and hygienic hydration solutions for all businesses and environments. From unrivalled Firewall® COVID-secure water purification and contactless functionality in our top-selling water dispensers, to a broad range of consumables and accessories that clean and protect. To find out more about what we offer, click here.