Over the last several months, you have likely been bombarded constantly with messages via traditional media, telephone, e-mail message, and social media from companies — including airlines and lodging companies — who profess to care so much about your health and safety that they claim to place that as an absolute top priority…
One Reason Why You Should Not Believe They Care About Your Health and Safety
…but one reason why you should not believe that companies care about your health and safety is because either the improved safety measures are not enough — or they do not exist at all whatsoever and are just broadcasting their supposed efforts as nothing more than an elaborate marketing scheme.
As one example, I patronized an establishment which professes to follow all of the guidelines offered by both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization pertaining to the current 2019 Novel Coronavirus pandemic — including those of increased sanitation, cleansing, sanitizing, and disinfecting; and including employees wearing masks on their faces at all times as required…
…but while I was waiting at this facility, I decided to use the washroom…
…and the photograph shown in this article illustrate the condition in which I found it.
In addition to a clogged sink which was slow to drain, fingerprints were found on the handle to the faucet, and hair and pieces of paper towel were found on the side of the faucet. The floor also appeared to have not been cleaned.
Fortunately for me, the washroom was equipped with both a dispenser for paper towels and an automatic electronic liquid soap dispenser. I used paper towels to touch items in the washroom — including to open the door to leave — and I thoroughly washed my hands properly prior to leaving. Despite the deplorable condition of the washroom, I did not avoid anything; and I never used hand sanitizer.
Summary
Among what I described earlier in terms of keeping yourself safe when using a public washroom are simple techniques which I have employed for years — long before the current 2019 Novel Coronavirus pandemic ever started…
…but keep in mind that even when employees at a company do what they believe is a thorough job of cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting a facility, know that the simplest of objects may be contaminated anyway — such as a pen, the lever to a water cooler, or a card.
Worse — or better, depending on the company — is that the cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting may be outsourced rather than completed internally.
Remember to keep thoroughly washing your hands properly — especially if you believe that your hands have been contaminated by touching a suspect object — and do not touch any part of your face until your hands are indeed washed.
All photographs ©2020 by Brian Cohen.
