Gaurav D Dubey
GM, Kimberly Clark Professional India
With organisations increasingly embracing a return-to-work mode, maintaining workplace hygiene has become the top priority of employers, to ensure the health and wellbeing of their employees amid resurfacing viral threats. Gaurav D Dubey, GM, Kimberly Clark Professional India talks about creating hygienic, safe and productive workplaces
Why do you think workplace hygiene has taken an important place among corporates today?
Health hazards at the workplace could be caused either by an unhygienic and poorly maintained environment or because of the poor personal hygiene practices of staff. Workplaces have long been environments where bacteria, germs and viruses could spread quickly from one to another , especially where employees are required to work in close proximity. Given the serious health risks associated with viruses, the pandemic is the biggest occupational health & safety challenge most employers have ever had to face. It has reinforced the importance of workplace hygiene.
How should personal hygiene issues be dealt with at the workplace?
Have you considered your hand hygiene throughout the day? While we wash our hands frequently, we conveniently forget about the hand drying part. Paper towels are the most hygienic option for drying hands based on speed, degree of dryness, effective removal of bacteria and prevention of cross contamination. It is therefore important for workplaces to invest in providing solutions for good hygiene, including hand washing and sanitising.
How is Kimberly Clark Professional bringing in solutions to bridge this gap?
Hygiene and cleanliness in away-from-home washrooms are more important now than before. Some interesting facts that emerged in our Away From Home studies show that 94% respondents wash and sanitise their hands frequently, and 84% respondents feel the need to see familiar brands as an indication to a clean and hygienic environment.
However, the cost pressure which organisations face, necessitates to bring about a system that strikes a balance between cost & efficiency and hygiene. We are launching Scott Rolled Hand Towel Dispensers which work to boost hygiene without compromising on efficiency.
What trends do you foresee emerging in the workplace hygiene space?
The most crucial would be on how to improve workplace hygiene responsibly. For example, we are committed to product innovation and the planet. Sustainability is embedded in everything we do. We’re one of the world’s largest users of recycled paper in our products.
We utilise environmentally responsible shipping, reducing our carbon footprint and diverting waste from landfills. We ensure human rights are respected in our facilities, as well as our global supply chain. We pilot product and packaging innovations that will lessen our impact on the environment for generations to come.
