"The average office desk has 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat."

If you have old-school “edge-banded” desktops in your 24/7 work environment, they’re hiding a dirty secret: The average office desk has 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat.

Why? Because germs can easily hide in the seams of traditional edge-banded desks. Gross, right? Even worse is how quickly your team of mission-critical operators can get sick when exposed to harmful bacteria. This can increase illness and absenteeism among those who serve the public 24/7: dispatchers, command center operators, and radiologists.

At Xybix, we use only 3D laminate surfaces for our workstations, which deliver the cleanest, safest most durable work environment on the market. So what is 3D laminate?

3D laminate is a non-porous covering that wraps around MDF so there are no “unseemly” seams where germs and debris can hide. At Xybix, we construct our console work surfaces with 3D laminate, a smooth “wraparound” finish in place of the plastic strips. 3D laminate limits the places for bacteria to grow, because it is thermoformed, a process of “shrinking” the laminate around the substrate.

Here are six ways that 3D laminate keeps your team healthy and safe:

1. 3-D laminates are non-porous

Despite some rumors you might have heard from our, ahem, competitors, no liquid can penetrate 3D laminate. Liquids slide right off. 

2. 3D laminate is easy to clean

Easily clean your 3D laminate using products like:

• Lysol Brand Disinfectant® wipes and sprays – non-bleach/non-ammonia types
• Clorox Healthcare® Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectants – non-bleach types
• Formula 409™

3. 3D laminate is seamless, so germs can’t hide

Eating lunch at your desk is a bad idea from a hygiene perspective, but a necessary hazard when you’re working in a 24/7 environment. With traditional, seamed work surfaces, the plastic strips that connect the surfaces serve as a hiding place for crumbs and liquid spills—and an invisible haven for hair, debris, dust mites, and even germs that can spread COVID-19.

4. 3D laminate is resistant to staining, etching, and cross-contamination

3D laminate is lab-tested and certified to resist staining, etching and cross-contamination from institutional-grade disinfecting and cleaning products. 3D also resists common ingredients ranging from alcohol and cooking oil to coffee, tea, salt, even pizza grease.

5. 3D laminate is safe for the environment – and the air you breathe

Many common household and office products emit VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that release dangerous vapors into the work environment. All Xybix consoles and workstations are Greenguard Certified from top-to-bottom for optimum air quality.

6. 3D laminate has a Class-A fire safety rating

A Class A rating means a product has a low flame spread, with a rating of less than 25. Most commercial wood species have a flame spread index between 90 and 160.

Why would you choose any other surface for your workstation desktops? Learn more about 3D laminates--and how great they'll look in your operations center.