Healthy Workplaces initiative: The importance of basic hygiene training in everyday life

As the world grows more interconnected, with public spaces and workplaces bustling with daily activity, maintaining good hygiene has never been more critical. The impact of contagious illnesses on workplaces, schools and various everyday situations can be severe, leading to increased sick days, reduced productivity, and even long-term health risks. However, understanding and maintaining essential hygiene practices can mitigate these issues significantly. This realisation led to the inception of the Healthy Workplaces initiative, a project driven by the mission to empower individuals with knowledge about basic hygiene and its importance in reducing the spread of illness.

The founders of the Healthy Workplaces initiative, Michael Di Figlia, Matthias Lunow and Andreas König, observed a clear need for a proactive approach to hygiene education. They recognised that, while many workplaces and schools had hygiene guidelines, there was often a gap in hygiene education, more specifically in the focus of educating everyday users like office workers, teachers and students. In response, they created accessible e-learning courses that go beyond basic instructions, delving into the science of hygiene and providing practical strategies that individuals can adopt both in professional settings and at home.

Expanding the reach: from schools to diverse sectors

Originally focused on schools and general consumers, the Healthy Workplaces initiative quickly realised that these educational tools could benefit other sectors, such as industry, healthcare, and service industries. These courses cover not only hand hygiene but also sanitising surfaces—two of the most critical components in preventing germ transmission. Lunow explains that they envision reaching “prosumers”—enthusiastic consumers who use products with an interest in quality and safety—as well as professionals, allowing them to adopt and share these hygiene practices more broadly.

This stepwise approach, starting from general awareness and expanding to specific industry needs, allows Healthy Workplaces to tailor its materials for various audiences, ensuring that each level of user gains practical, relevant skills to create healthier environments.

Why hygiene knowledge matters for schools and offices

The Healthy Workplaces initiative initially targets educators, equipping them to share hygiene knowledge with students, ultimately fostering a culture of good hygiene in classrooms and beyond. Di Figlia highlights that teachers are in an ideal position to multiply this knowledge, explaining, "The teachers get the basic knowledge, and they should train their students." Additional resources, such as tests and training materials, are planned to support teachers in reinforcing these practices effectively in their lessons.

For office workers, understanding basic hygiene principles is equally critical. Educating employees on when it’s best to stay home if feeling unwell, for instance, can prevent outbreaks that could spread rapidly in workplaces. By encouraging thoughtful hygiene practices, the initiative hopes to cultivate a healthier, more productive work environment, underscoring the importance of personal responsibility in protecting colleagues from potential illnesses.

Bridging the gap between work and home hygiene practices

One of the key ambitions of the Healthy Workplaces initiative is encouraging individuals to carry the hygiene practices they learn at work back into their homes. Di Figlia explains that consistent practices in both environments are essential for effectiveness, emphasising that hygiene principles should not be abandoned once one leaves the workplace. To that end, the courses include insights into microbiology, helping people recognise everyday risk factors and understand the science behind infection control. This knowledge allows individuals to conduct risk assessments in various contexts, such as when family members are unwell, and adopt preventive behaviours that support overall health.

Establishing hygiene as a daily routine

A central goal of the Healthy Workplaces initiative is to make hygiene as automatic as brushing one’s teeth. Lunow compares regular handwashing to oral hygiene, suggesting that it should become an ingrained behaviour that people practice unconsciously in schools, workplaces, and public spaces. By embedding these practices into daily life, Healthy Workplaces hopes to reduce the prevalence of illnesses and build long-term resilience within communities.

A broader impact: partnering with companies to increase awareness

Thanks to a network of more than 30 partner companies, the Healthy Workplaces initiative has garnered considerable support, but Di Figlia and Lunow see their project as part of a much larger movement. They’re actively seeking new partners to help expand awareness of good hygiene habits, particularly companies from sectors that touch upon public health, such as healthcare providers, educational institutions, and manufacturers of hygiene products. Di Figlia notes, “We think that the hygiene industry should work much more together... so that people outside the industry get a bit more feeling about awareness.”

In this collaborative spirit, the initiative aims to bring infection prevention and hygiene to the forefront of everyday life, helping the public understand its crucial role in protecting both personal health and community welfare.

Innovative approaches to accessibility: reaching consumers through products

To further increase accessibility, the Healthy Workplaces team has adopted creative strategies to reach consumers where they are. For example, they are considering adding QR codes to hygiene products, such as dispensers and soap bottles, that link to the educational platform. By scanning the code, users could access training materials directly on their phones or computers, enabling them to learn about hygiene in an engaging, accessible way. This approach also allows companies to integrate hygiene education into their products, helping make vital information available to consumers in their daily lives.

Looking forward: creating a lasting impact

With the Healthy Workplaces initiative, Michael Di Figlia and Matthias Lunow hope to foster a shift in how people view hygiene, embedding it into everyday habits and encouraging proactive infection prevention. As they expand their reach, build partnerships, and explore new strategies to make hygiene education widely accessible, they are contributing to a healthier, more resilient society.

The initiative welcomes companies, schools, and individuals to join this journey toward healthier workplaces. By uniting behind the shared goal of reducing infections, the Healthy Workplaces team hopes to build a safer, more productive world for everyone, one hygienic habit at a time.

Try Healthy Workplaces for free

To help you experience the benefits of the Healthy Workplaces training, we’re giving away free vouchers! Simply send an email to interclean@rai.nl with the subject line “Healthy Workplaces voucher” to claim yours. Start learning how to create healthier, more hygienic environments today!