77% Of The Public Are Anxious About Returning To Work

Over half of the British population is anxious about returning to work due to the commute.

As such, it’s crucial that public transport companies take it upon themselves to implement the right health and safety measures, such as heightened cleaning regimes, social distancing and mask-wearing rules.

OnePoll carried out a study to discover the reason for the public being anxious for when returning to their place of work. Out of 1,000 respondents, 29% are most anxious about having to commute back and forth to their offices.

The remaining respondents are anxious about other factors, including:

• Touching door handles that other people have touched (20%)
• Others not using hand soap or sanitiser (15%)
• Lack of cleaning supplies available at work (12%)

Of those who took part in the survey, 50% plan to travel to work via car, 11% plan to travel by train and 8% by bus.

Other modes of transport include:

• Tube (6%)
• Walk (7%)
• Bicycle (3%)
• Taxi (1%)

“It’s clear that the public are worried about the commute upon the return to work, and it’s not very hard to see why. After spending an entire year working in the comfort of their own homes, the thought of sharing a train, bus or tube ride with strangers can be daunting for many. I fully support the push for enhanced health and safety measures going forward.”

- Zac Hemming, Founding Director of ICE Cleaning

The survey found that 45% of workers based outside London are most likely to travel to work by car, allowing for minimal bacterial contact with the rest of the public. Plus, traffic will be less of an issue for workers in less populated regions.

On the other hand, respondents in London stated that they are planning to travel to work by either train (20%) or bus (15%). London is a highly populated area with cheap travel fares, whereas traveling by car or taxi raises the issue of traffic and expensive parking permits.

Approximately 77% of all participants who took part in the survey expressed anxiety surrounding the cleanliness of public transport, with workers aged 55 and over most concerned.

After a year of working from home, the public will need to adjust to a new norm. Creating a safe and clean environment for commuters will allow them to feel positive about their journey to work and create a sense of reassurance.

“Before the global pandemic, generic cleaners were hired to provide a basic level of hygiene on public transport. Enhanced safety measures, including social distancing and hand sanitising stations, have now become the norm, as well as regular decontaminations. We have experienced a high demand for commercial cleaning services in the last few months following announcements to ease lockdown restrictions.”

- James Reynolds, Founding Director of ICE Cleaning

6 hygiene tips to remember when commuting back and forth to work:

1. Avoid touching your face - touching your face with germs on your hands can lead to acne and can transfer germs onto equipment. For example, mobile phones.
2. Wear a mask - wearing a mask will reduce viral transmission (if worn correctly). Masks are to protect others from your illness that you already have or are unaware of.
3. Carry hand sanitiser - hand sanitiser is one of the best choices to use for cleaning your hands, to keep you from picking up viral particles on your skin.
4. Carry anti-bac wipes - antibacterial wipes can be used to disinfect surfaces to kill bacteria as well as viruses. They are one of the best options to use for wide touch points.
5. Wash your hands - Washing your hands with warm water and soap is the best option to prevent the spread of germs and can prevent illnesses, for example, the flu.
6. Stick to social distancing rules- keeping your distance from one another will avoid social contact and you are less likely to catch any illnesses, bacteria or viruses from someone who might be unaware of it.

5 tips for transport companies:

1. Place hand sanitiser around stations and public waiting areas.
2. Place signs in high-traffic areas to encourage mask wearing and social distancing.
3. Make hourly tannoid announcements to remind others how to keep safe.
4. Hire a professional cleaning company to regularly clean touchpoints.
5. Keep windows open to allow a flow of fresh air.

We offer a full range of commercial cleaning services, including transportation and office cleaning. For more information regarding our services, call 0333 577 5805 or visit our website on enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk.