Just in Time for Flu Season, Kimberly-Clark Professional* Launches The Healthy Workplace Project* Desk Caddy

ROSWELL, Ga., Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Just as the traditional Fall start to the flu season is set to begin, Kimberly-Clark Professional* announces the introduction of The Healthy Workplace Project* Desk Caddy. The Desk Caddy is a key new component of The Healthy Workplace Project, the Kimberly-Clark Professional program that addresses germs not just in the restrooms, but throughout the office. By positioning the most important hygiene and germ-reducing supplies at an accessible desktop location, The Healthy Workplace Project Desk Caddy makes it easier for employees to "wash, wipe and sanitize" to help reduce the spread of illness-causing germs.

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The Healthy Workplace Project Desk Caddy holds KLEENEX® Moisturizing Instant Hand Sanitizer, KLEENEX® Anti-Viral Facial Tissue(1) and SCOTT® Disinfectant Wipes.  The Caddy is just the right size for an office, conference room or break area and comes either as a white Standard Desk Caddy or an upscale polished wire Premium Desk Caddy, which can be hung from a cubical wall or placed on a desktop or counter.

Studies show that desks, phones, keyboards and computer mice may have as much as three times more germs and other organic material than the average toilet seat!(2) The Healthy Workplace Project Desk Caddy was designed to help address this problem by providing employers and their organizations with a solution that targets the surfaces, spaces and locations that most often harbor germs. The Caddy is just the latest element in The Healthy Workplace Project, a multi-faceted program that Kimberly-Clark Professional has designed to help companies provide their employees with a healthier and more productive office environment.

"We are excited to introduce The Healthy Workplace Project Desk Caddy as an important new tool in our ongoing effort to enhance employee health and help reduce the spread of germs in the office," said Daniel DeCriscio, Office Buildings Go To Market Leader. "The Caddy allows each and every employee to easily 'wash, wipe and sanitize' -- the best way to fight workplace germs and ultimately illness."

The Healthy Workplace Project is an innovative approach to hand and surface hygiene that gets employees actively involved in helping reduce the spread of cold and flu germs in their workplace. Studies show that each year companies lose $1,685 per employee due to absenteeism and presenteeism (employees coming to work while sick).(3) By reinforcing the importance of "washing, wiping and sanitizing" through The Healthy Workplace Project, employers can help reduce that impact.

For more information on the Kimberly-Clark Professional The Healthy Workplace Project please visit www.healthyworkplaceproject.com.

About Kimberly-Clark Professional

Kimberly-Clark Professional is dedicated to providing essential solutions for a healthier, safer and more productive workplace. These include a unique portfolio of innovative, cost-effective and sustainable offerings for office buildings and lodging properties, healthcare facilities, manufacturing environments, laboratories and cleanrooms, educational facilities, food preparation and processing operations, and home professionals. Kimberly-Clark Professional offers a comprehensive array of hand hygiene and contamination control solutions to break the germ transmission chain and help create a healthier workplace as well as wiping and safety solutions that minimize risk and drive productivity. Its trusted global brands include Kleenex, Scott, Wypall, Kimtech and Jackson Safety. Located in Roswell, Ga., Kimberly-Clark Professional is one of Kimberly-Clark Corporation's four business sectors. For more information, visit www.kcprofessional.com.

About Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people - nearly a quarter of the world's population - trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the company's 139-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com.

(1)  Kills 99.9% of cold and flu viruses in the tissue within 15 minutes. Virucidal against Rhinoviruses Type 1A and 2; Influenza A and B (causes of the flu); and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV, the leading cause of lower respiratory infection in children).

(2) Internal Analysis based on nearly 40,000 ATP measurements in offices, measured by a Hygiene ATP meter.

(3) Stewart, W.F., Ricci, J. A., Chee, E., Morganstein, D. (2003). Lost productive work time costs from health conditions in the United States: results from the American Productivity Audit. J Occup Environ Med 45.12 1234-46.

SOURCE Kimberly-Clark Professional*