Blog

Maintaining a hygienic workplace is more important now than ever.

Devices such as speech mikes and dictaphones are widely used in the medical industry and are often shared among staff. It is important to clean these devices thoroughly to ensure the safety of all staff and patients. Thankfully, most speech mikes are designed with hygiene in mind.

Continue reading for tips on how to keep your dictation equipment safe…

The easiest way to prevent the spread of germs is to avoid any contact with your hands and face. Unfortunately, this is impossible when using a speech mike, so extra care should be taken to make sure the device is disinfected correctly.

Wash hands before and after use – it may seem obvious, but washing your hands is the first defence against the spread of germs. Be sure to do it before and after touching the equipment.

Disinfect thoroughly – use a medical-grade sanitiser to disinfect your device before and after use. Use a soft cloth to prevent damaging the surface. Disconnect all cables and be careful not to get moisture in any openings.

Minimise sharing – avoid sharing dictation equipment when possible. Make your personal device portable by purchasing extra docking stations or pairing adapters such as the Philips AirBridge*.

Don’t touch the microphone to your mouth – keep the device approximately 10 to 15cm away from your mouth when dictating.

Consider hygiene properties – when purchasing new dictation equipment, make hygienic properties such as antimicrobial housing a priority. With an antimicrobial surface, usual cleaning practices are more effective. The material also inhibits the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses. Recent models of Philips and Olympus speech mikes use this technology.

More information on proper cleaning practices can be found in the user manual of your device and are often available online.

*Be sure to check compatibility with your device. The Philips AirBridge pairs with Philips SpeechMike Premium models and Philips SpeechOne devices.

Philips, Olympus and Pacific Transcription declines all responsibility for incorrect use of cleaning products.