Special Report
Always take hand hygiene on your holidays
There is no need for hand hygiene to be neglected, even when travelling. Mike Sullivan, managing director of GOJO Europe, outlines the opportunities for travel companies, hotels, airlines and cruise ships to show that they value the well-being of their passengers and guests.
Easter is upon us this month, and this usually her- alds the start of the holiday season. It’s a time when many of us travel to see friends, family, or just get away fromit all. Breaks are often planned well in ad- vance and eagerly antici- pated, so the last thing anyone needs is a bout of illness to blight what should be a happy time. The same goes for business travel. This doesn’t follow the same patterns as domestic travel, and is pretty continu- ous throughout the year. However, the same need for good health is paramount - valuable contracts or sales can be lost if key personnel cannot attendmeetings, or give below-par presenta- tions, because of illness. Hand hygiene can play a
major role in helping to re- duce the spread of viruses and infections - and there are plenty of opportunities for this to happen when someone is travelling. Air- ports, train stations and cruise liners are all places where lots of different peo- ple come into contact with each other -making thema perfect breeding ground for germs. Out of necessity, hands touch a whole range of surfaces in these loca- tions, including hand rails on escalators, stairs and seats. The enclosed spaces on planes, trains and ships make it easy for germs to travel, but practising good hand hygiene is a simple and effective way to reduce the risk of contracting and/or spreading viruses. By equippingmodes of transport with effective and
easy-to-use products, opera- tors can demonstrate their commitment to safeguarding the personal health and well-being of their passen- gers and staff. Cruise ships are perhaps
the best (or should that be worst) example of how viruses can spread - espe- cially gastrointestinal ill- nesses. Headlines about outbreaks are, unfortunately, a regular occurrence in the media, bringing negative publicity for cruise opera- tors. The effects of outbreaks are wide-ranging - fromthe personal discomfort of those who contract the virus, to the disruption to normal serv- ices caused by having to deal with the consequences of an outbreak, and the subse- quent work needed to return things to normal. Travel can be enhanced
and improved by hand hy- giene - and travel companies need not worry that ‘hy- gienic’means that formula- tions and dispensing systems will be uninspiring in terms of design and feel. The right dispensing sys- tems play a significant role in encouraging people to de- velop healthy hand hygiene habits, and dispensers which look good will always be more of a draw for the user. Technology is helping to make dispensers sleeker andmore pleasurable to use, with ‘touch free’models be- coming popular. Similarly, soap and hand gel formula- tions can combine efficacy with ‘spa-like’ fragrances and colours, enhancing the holiday experience. It goes without saying that washrooms on planes, trains
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and ships need to be fully equipped with pleasant and effective formulations for passengers to use - but the very nature of travelmeans that sometimes access to soap and water is not avail- able. This is where hygienic hand rubs or hand sanitisers come into their own. Dis- pensers conveniently situ- ated at entrance and exit points, pump dispenser bot- tlesmade available on tables in eating or waiting areas, and even smaller, portable versions, designed to attach to bags, belt loops, or
slipped into a pocket,mean that hand hygiene is possible anywhere. So, to conclude, here are
some hand hygiene tips to think about when travelling: • Restaurants - after touch- ing themenu, and before eating,make a trip to the bathroomto clean your hands, or use a hygienic hand rub. •Mass transit - a lot of dif- ferent hands have touched rails, door handles, buttons and ticketmachines before you, so apply hygienic hand rub regularly, and wash your hands whenever you get the chance. •Washrooms - always wash your hands with soap and water after using the lava- tory. Hygienic hand rub can be added as an extra level of protection afterwards.
Good hand hygiene is a
habit that should be en- couraged, and it’s arguably evenmore important when travelling. It’s now easier than ever to keep your hands clean, whether you’re at home or away, on a fam- ily holiday or business trip. Forward thinking travel companies can set them- selves apart fromtheir competitors by providing easy access to hand hygiene products, showing they care enough about their cus- tomers to safeguard their health and well-being.
Formore information on hand hygiene solutions fromGOJO call 01908 588444, email
info@gojo.co.uk or visit
www.gojo.com/united- kingdom
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