The current Covid-19 lockdown situation developing has meant most of us are working from home, making use of the technologies available to keep in contact with colleagues, customers and suppliers. Mobile phone networks taking some of the strain and internet providers lifting data limits.

For those people classified as key workers and still working within their normal work environment has meant behaviours are having to change to limit health risks. We would like at this point to send our gratitude to the thousands of members of the public working within the NHS, and all other sectors in this position.

If you are one of these key workers and using office equipment such as photocopiers or printers’, please bear in mind these may become hotspots for the transfer of unwanted bacteria.

To minimise the risk to you and others at this time you can use hand sanitiser in the following way to clean office equipment used daily by multiple staff.

Step 1

1. Switch off the equipment both at the equipment and wall socket.
2. Using a paper kitchen towel and hand sanitiser, wet the towel so it is slightly damp to the touch, and wipe down the areas listed below. DO NOT apply sanitiser directly to any electrical equipment.
3. Then using a dry sheet of kitchen towel wipe away any damp areas from the equipment areas listed below.

Step 2

Clean the following areas of your multifunctional printer or photocopier.
1. Control panel- This is the part of the equipment that may have of a touch screen but will certainly have buttons to set up copying and scanning jobs.
2. Paper exit trays – The parts of the equipment from where you recover your printing or scanning paperwork.

3. Document feeder – Used to place paperwork when copying or scanning

4. Platen Glass – Found under the Document feeder and is the flat glass used to place paper when copying or scanning.

5. Handles – Used to open paper trays and also sections of equipment to remove paper jams. This should also include the pedestal cabinet at the bottom of a photocopier printer, if it is floor standing used to store spare toners and paper.