What lurks within the office fridge?

Office design news from Morgan Lovell

Published on 14-09-2006

The office fridge can be a labyrinth of dilemmas and arguments: often office staff randomly accuse colleagues of pilfering their best sandwich, or leaving something horrid too close to another lunch.

It certainly appears to be a serious issue and can lead to an uncomfortable office environment that is crammed with noxious green ether.

One instance, reported by chron.com, involved a festive leftover being eaten for an unnaturally long period of time.

Richard Shaw, from a Houston office, observed the habits of one colleague's Thanksgiving sandwich: "It was still there in December. It was just gross-looking. People were watching her gnaw at it."

Another Houston resident took offence at the state of someone's lunch: "There was hair growing. It was alive, and it wasn't meant to be alive," Kathy Fenninger revealed to the same website.

Staff fridges are often tucked away in a disregarded area of an office and many kitchen areas aren't cleaned as regularly as they should be.

A high standard of office design can encourage increased staff efficiency and a greater sense of hygiene.