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Rubber Keypads- The Key to Office Health?

Rubber keypads and keyboards are just like traditional pads and keyboards, but instead of having individual keys, the entire board is covered with a membrane layer that eliminates exposure of the internal components of the keypad. Rubber keypads often use a slightly different mechanism for key contact that is quieter and gentler than most mechanical

Membrane keyboards and pads are used frequently in industrial and medical settings where it is important to control contamination levels. Membrane keyboards and pads are easy to clean, because the top layer of membrane can be cleaned and sanitized without damaging the internal components of the system.

Recent studies about office sanitation have shown that office keyboards are some of the dirtiest surfaces in an office environment- especially if the keyboard is shared between several office workers. A variety of contaminants get into the keyboards, including flu and cold viruses, food particles, dirt and skin cells, and a variety of other particles that can spread disease and viruses. One easy way to reduce the amount of contamination on office keyboards would be to switch to membrane-covered keypads. The membrane coating would prevent particles of dirt and contaminants from falling between the keys on a keyboard. The membrane layer would also act as a waterproof barrier between the keys and the circuitry under the board, which would enable the office to regularly clean and sanitize the keyboards without damaging the keyboards.

This simple switch could lead to increased health of office workers and improve the overall cleanliness levels of office buildings.