Workstations are the focal point of business in office buildings. They are the places in the building where work is being done. These small work areas allow people the personal privacy to think, talk and do their job, at the same time making it easy to ask questions and interact with others.
These “short walls” which don’t reach the ceiling, give people the sense of privacy without the feeling of isolation. The office floor plan makes great use of space, design flexibility and can be colorful and personalized.
What we don’t talk about with fabric cubicle panels is that they are Germ Incubators. Fabric is a magnet for airborne particles. Think of dust winds in the desert, captured air in buildings passing in and around fabric. Here is where the cubicle panels become the perfect place to filter dust, germs, and bacteria. You might call it “the perfect storm”.
In a recent Entrepreneur article, microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba, University of Arizona, has discovered that in most work environments, offices and cubicles have higher bacteria levels than surfaces in common areas. While we mostly think about telephones, keyboards, desks, fabric panels are right there, front and center, filtering air all day long.
Consider adding fabric panels to your regular cleaning schedule. As carpet and upholstery have cleaning dates, it would be easy to add panel cleaning with less office disruption to keep the air quality in the building at a high-quality level.
When the next flu season is here or the heating system is used, or the air conditioning may be running, that’s when all kinds of fabric in the office is filtering germs, bacteria and dust floating around in the air. By cleaning the fabric, air quality changes and people are healthier, happier and more productive.
