WASHROOM HYGIENE HELPING HAND
Howard Sedgwick, Managing Director at Cannon Hygiene UK, explains why having the proper facilities to encourage effective washroom hygiene can help productivity and revenue.
According to the Office for National Statistics, 131 million days were lost due to sickness absences in 2013, and of these 27 million were lost to minor illnesses and common infections, such as coughs and colds. This is a fact that undoubtedly has a significant impact both on business productivity and revenue.
Bacteria found on people’s hands transfer on to every surface once touched, so it’s important to have washrooms with effective handwashing and drying facilities in place to combat the transfer of potentially harmful germs.
However, providing good hand- washing facilities alone is not enough. Employers should ensure their workers are fully educated on the implications of improper handwashing and what effect the cross-contamination of bacteria can have on day-to-day operations.
DISPENSE GOOD ADVICE A global survey recently found that one in three people don’t automatically wash their hands with soap and water after using the toilet. To stop the resulting spread of germs, businesses could tackle this issue by implementing a stringent hand hygiene policy and placing signs in washrooms close to soap dispensers and sinks to remind staff to wash their hands and also how to wash them effectively.
The World Health Organisation recommends a 12-step method for cleaning hands thoroughly in order to protect against infection and in sectors where the risk of infection is high, such as healthcare or the food industry, this is of particular importance. Handwashing guides are readily available online and should be displayed in washrooms where possible to ensure it is being done correctly.
On a practical level, soap dispensers need to be reliable and filled so hands can be washed properly. Automatic
42 | Tomorrow’s Cleaning December 2015
soap dispensing units and taps, which require no touch to operate, can also limit the potential for cross contamination between people’s hands.
It’s also equally important to install hand dryers so wet hands can be suitably dried. Paper towels, roller towels and automatic hand dryers all aid hand drying in the most hygienic way and can help guarantee that the handwashing process is effective.
TAILOR YOUR NEEDS Hand-washing facilities need to reflect the volume of usage. For example, in busy environments, such as hospital wards where people are constantly washing their hands, hygiene equipment needs to be able to withstand high use.
The thing to note in each case is to have soap dispensers that distribute the right amount of soap for each wash – too little and hands will not be properly cleaned after washing, but too much and this can quickly become a considerable maintenance cost.
From a financial and time point of view, larger businesses may benefit from a managed washroom service provider, which can oversee the management of its facilities, and a small firm may want to hand control of their washroom to a third party also in order to concentrate on more pressing business matters.
BEYOND THE WASHROOM Businesses need to consider hygiene throughout their premises. With the spread of germs so closely linked to hand-washing, and it often being done incorrectly, investing in door handle sanitisers is one way businesses can further prevent bacteria cross contamination becoming an issue.
These dispensers, such as the CannonTouch system, are installed above horizontal or vertical door handles and spray a fine, sanitising mist onto the handle to clean it in
preparation for the next user. This means those people who do wash their hands effectively are not undoing this good work by touching a surface previously touched by someone not quite as considerate.
What’s more, making alcohol hand sanitiser available outside of the washroom, for example at reception areas or shared workspaces, can help to kill germs quickly and without the need for drying amenities, especially in workplaces where there’s a lot of movement between areas.
The key is to find the right approach to washroom hygiene for everyone in the business. By doing so, reducing the spread of germs will ultimately create healthier environments, which in turn will have a positive and direct impact on the bottom line.
www.cannonhygiene.com
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