| Another peril to be added to the innocent | | | | sealed keyboards, so that every fortnight, |
| looking office environment, to go with | | | | they are submerged into a bath of chemicals |
| repetitive stress syndrome, you can now add | | | | that kills any bacteria, the businesses found |
| upset stomachs and vomiting. | | | | that they had less people off sick since |
| | | | implementing this cleaning regime. |
| It has been independently investigated by | | | | |
| microbiologists, who examined 33 keyboards | | | | You are right in thinking, that you cannot |
| and found a wide range of bugs including E | | | | (nor should you) put a normal keyboard into |
| Coli, and S. aeureus, which makes people ill. | | | | any liquid! The sealed keyboards are sealed |
| | | | to IP68 or NEMA4, this is a waterproof |
| The microbiologists swabbed a public toilet | | | | standard in Europe and the USA. And prevents |
| and the majority of the keyboards had higher | | | | and liquid entering the keyboard. |
| bacterial content, 1 keyboard in particular | | | | |
| had 5 X more bacteria than the toilet swabs. | | | | The normal applications for these keyboards |
| Four further keyboards had high levels of | | | | is in food process areas, so at the end of |
| coliform bacteria, that are linked to fetal | | | | the shift, the production area is washed down |
| matter. | | | | with high powered pressure jets, killing any |
| | | | bugs or bacteria. The keyboards come in both |
| The main problem, is that people are working | | | | PS2 and USB and plug straight into a standard |
| more and spending more time at their desks, | | | | computer. |
| some even have lunch their…when the | | | | |
| crumbs lodge between the keys of the | | | | Mice can also be as dirty, the other option |
| keyboard, bacteria grow rapidly, this is the | | | | is a sealed unit, called a trackball, this is |
| ideal environment. | | | | a small neoprene ball that when pressed down |
| | | | and rotated, moves the curser on the screen, |
| One of the simplest ways to rid the keyboard | | | | just like a mouse, the only difference being, |
| of bacteria is to tip the bits out and clean | | | | the trackball cannot trap dirt or bacteria. |
| it with a wet wipe every week. | | | | Many Industrial keyboards have these fitted |
| | | | as standard. |
| Several companies are now using flexible | | | | |