Visitors and employees at Teck’s Vancouver office now have a secret weapon in the fight against germs and illness – copper.
To reduce the spread of germs and help keep employees healthy, Teck has installed copper-infused door handles and counter tops throughout its Vancouver office. Because of copper’s antimicrobial properties, these door handles and counter tops will continuously eliminate 99.9% of all bacteria that comes in contact with them, reducing the spread of germs throughout the Teck office.
Copper-infused door handles have been installed on all common area and bathroom doors. In addition, counter tops in several high traffic areas, including the reception desk, have also been fitted with copper-infused surfaces.
A recent University of Arizona study found that more than half of commonly touched surfaces in an office can become infected when a single person in the office is ill. Through our Copper & Health program, Teck recently worked with a microbiologist to conduct swabbing around the Vancouver office to determine where the most significant levels of bacteria were found. The results helped inform where the copper-infused surfaces would be installed.
About Copper & Health
Teck’s Copper & Health program is working with partners across Canada to increase the use of copper-infused surfaces in healthcare to reduce the spread of healthcare-acquired infections.
Each year, 250,000 patients will contract a healthcare-acquired infection while receiving care in Canada. Of these, 14,000 patients will die. Most of these infections are completely preventable.
When installed on high touch surfaces, copper eliminates 99.9% of harmful bacteria within two hours of contact, reducing the spread of infection and improving health outcomes for patients, hospital staff and visitors.
For more information about the role of antimicrobial copper, the Copper & Health program, and other examples of copper in action, please visit the Copper & Health page on www.teck.com
