G&K Services Helps Businesses Gear-Up for Winter

As the first day of winter quickly approaches G&K Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: GK), a leader in uniforms and facility services, offers some helpful tips on how businesses can prepare their workforce and facilities for the onslaught of inclement weather.

Uniforms
As temperatures drop, employees may make adjustments to their uniforms to stay warm. However, a business’ image does not need to suffer in the cold. A variety of outerwear and cold weather accessories can be embroidered with company logos to promote brand awareness. Winter weather also brings new concerns around employee safety. Many employees will layer garments to stay warm, but keep in mind that the outermost layer is the most important for safety. For example, with shorter days and less sunlight, enhanced and high-visibility garments should be visible to protect workers in low-light environments. For employees working in flash-fire hazard environments, make sure they don’t layer non-flame-resistant clothing over their flame-resistant uniforms, and any undergarments need to be either flame-resistant or non-melting with only small amounts of elastic.¹

Floors
Winter weather can wreak havoc on floors and increase the likelihood of slips, trips and falls. Flooring in high traffic areas can be damaged by salt and dirt brought in from the outdoors. A floor mat system consisting of a scraper mat at the entrance of a building and carpeted floor mats throughout the building will help trap water, reduce slippery spots and capture additional dirt and soil.

Employee Health
This time of year marks the start of the cold and flu season and with it employee absences due to illness. Businesses can reduce the spread of colds and flu by taking steps to promote hand hygiene and workplace cleanliness. For example, alcohol-based instant hand sanitizers in touch free dispensers should be placed near high traffic areas, such as lobbies, break areas and elevators. Also, keep hand towels and soap fully stocked in restrooms to encourage frequent hand washing. Finally, microfiber cleaning products help minimize cross-contamination and create a clean work environment. Using microfiber towels to routinely clean frequently touched surfaces, such as doorknobs, keyboards, and phones, helps prevent the transfer of the bacteria and viruses that cause colds or flu. Microfiber cleaning products are proven to remove up to 98% of bacteria and 93% of viruses from surfaces using only water.^2,3

The winter season brings new safety concerns for businesses and their employees. Whether it’s cold weather work wear, a floor mat system, hand hygiene supplies, or microfiber cleaning products, G&K Services can help businesses mitigate these concerns and prepare for the brutal winter months. To learn more please visit http://www.gkservices.com.

¹ 5: Use. (2007). In NFPA 2113, Standard on Selection, Care, Use, and Maintenance of Flame-resistant Garments for Protection of Industrial Personnel Against Flash Fire (2007 ed.). Quincy, MA: The Association.
² Tests performed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Environmental Best Practices for Health Care Facilities: Using Microfiber Mops in Hospitals. November 2002.
³ Rutala W, ed. Disinfection, Sterilization and Antisepsis. June 2006.

About G&K Services, Inc.
G&K Services, Inc. is a service-focused market leader of branded uniform and facility services programs in the United States, and is the largest such provider in Canada. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, G&K Services has 7,800 employees serving approximately 170,000 customer locations from 165 facilities in North America. G&K Services is a publicly held company traded over the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol GK and is a component of the Standard & Poor’s SmallCap 600 Index. For more information visit www.gkservices.com.