Hygiene is necessary to live a healthy life. It is not limited to an individual’s responsibility to keep oneself clean. One must pay attention to maintain hygiene and cleanliness in everything that surrounds them.
Most of the time, we are casual about maintaining a clean atmosphere, be it our homes, offices, restaurants, or parks. We feel that it is only the cleaning staff’s responsibility to manage and organize everything around us. In reality, this is alarming because it represents our loss of interest in participating in domestic or community work.
Every individual can and must play a significant role in clearing up trash to ensure our public places are healthy. Here are a few ways to get started.
1. Identify problem areas
In every public zone, there are some problem areas. Usually, these problem areas are places that are regularly used or touched by everyone. Toilet seats, door handles or hinges, elevator buttons, and escalator rails are problem areas because these are surfaces that continuously come into contact with multiple people. It inherently creates a hygiene hazard, especially in times of a global pandemic.
Once you have identified these zones, you must take relevant actions to keep them clean and hygienic. Sanitization is crucial to minimize the threat of any bacterial or viral infection. Hence, use disinfecting products regularly to keep surfaces clean.
2. Develop a thoughtful plan by consulting public health professionals
It is impossible to achieve public cleanliness without proper planning, allocation of resources, and supervision. The management needs to focus on convenient yet effective ways to clean areas without any hassle to people. Places like offices, restaurants, and parks need proper plans to protect the public from potential health hazards. Here’s where public healthcare professionals come in handy.
Qualified public health professionals play a significant role in spreading awareness and running different campaigns to save people from community health issues. They also make sure people follow proper SOP’s defined by the authorities and people in charge.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there has been an increase in demand for public health professionals worldwide. Hence it comes as no surprise that individuals have flocked to grab opportunities to add value to their existing skillset and knowledge base. And as education plays a vital role in this, several digital portals have introduced relevant qualifications to facilitate aspiring individuals. For instance, a masters in public health online and relevant work experience can easily net an individual a job that entails the improvement of life in the public sphere. An excellent career path, we think.
3. Educate people about cleanliness
And while we’re still on it, education and awareness play a vital role in keeping public places clean. It is essential to educate people to throw litter in the bin and give awareness about cleanliness to create a healthy community with beautiful and immaculate public places.
Another vital aspect of cleanliness is personal hygiene. Cleaning on a large scale, especially with many people visiting public spaces, can be challenging. But even the smallest bits count. We are well aware of terms such as ‘disinfecting’ and ‘sanitization’ because of the pandemic. In public places, people come from all sorts of backgrounds and might be carrying several transmittable diseases. It should be mandatory to provide sanitizing products in public areas to reduce the risk of spreading infections.
4. Ban the use of plastic bags
There’s no more straightforward way to put this; plastic bags are an environmental nuisance! The governing bodies should make some regulations to encourage the use of biodegradable materials. As we all know, plastic bags are not biodegradable so, they cause a threat to the environment. For an eco-friendly environment, it is mandatory to abide by some rules.
Plastic bags damage our environment badly. Firstly, plastic bags take many years to decompose. Secondly, they release toxic substances harmful to the soil and plants. Last but not least, they’re dangerous around small children and can cause people to trip. Don’t use them!
5. Take steps to purify the air
Adequate ventilation is necessary to maintain a healthy and fresh environment in indoor public areas. Some harmful bacteria tend to grow in areas with less ventilation so, it is crucial to deodorize and freshen up the air. Maintain air purification systems and filters regularly. Or open the windows every once in a while.
In the outdoors, it is essential to take steps that reduce air pollutants and increase oxygen levels. Encouraging the use of more plants in public spaces can significantly improve the air quality people breathe.
6. Clean public toilets
Unchecked public toilets are a biological hazard everyone is scared to use. They’re smelly, stained, noxious, and ill-conditioned. It creates a horrible impression of that place. The management must take a keen interest in providing neat and clean toilets for public health.
Conclusion
People visit parks, restaurants, cinemas, concerts, and stadiums to enjoy themselves with their friends and families. And not to face inconvenience and potential health risks. By following some necessary steps, they can enjoy a flourishing and blooming atmosphere in clean and salutary public spaces. The use of sanitizers, installing trash bins, discouraging plastic bags, and using fresh air for indoor gatherings plays a vital role in keeping public areas clean.