smalltowngirl – generally, touching someone of the opposite gender thats not “bderech chibah” is allowed. That doesnt mean you should go around touching men!! It just means that if you are on the bus and you bump into a man, its not a problem.
When I started working I had a long talk with my rabbi about how to deal with men at the office. I work in a company thats 85% male and there are plenty of times that I am the only woman around. I was told that it was 100% fine to shake mens hands (even extending mine first) beceause it was all for the sake of business – no chibah involved.