Desk lunches make offices unhygienic

Offices are becoming increasingly unhygienic as more workers eat lunch at their desk, making them more prone to illness, according to new research.

A hygiene firm said tests showed computer mice were the filthiest part of workers’ desks, containing more than three times the levels of bacteria-related contamination on the average toilet seat.

Computer keyboards were the second most unhygienic piece of office equipment, said Initial Washroom Hygiene, which carried out tests on over 150 items in 40 different workstations in a number of offices.

Male workers were found to have dirtier workstations, according to the research.