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A CLEAN APPROACH


Paul Jakeway, Marketing Director at skin care expert Deb, looks at how companies can create washrooms that deliver hand hygiene compliance and clever design.


First impressions are everything when it comes to washrooms. If just one aspect of a washroom fails to meet the expectations of visitors, they are likely to feel negative about the environment they find themselves in.


The look and feel of washrooms in workplace environments can leave a lasting impression on visitors and employees – one which should always be positive. Washrooms can also encourage people to follow proper hand hygiene and skin care routines.


“To become infected with norovirus


someone would only need to be in contact with 10 particles.”


Research consistently shows the importance washroom appearances have for customers and employees, and that even slightly unpleasant environments can turn people away, potentially for good. How can companies create washrooms that avoid this risk, and create a positive impression instead?


Employers have a responsibility to provide adequate facilities for employees and visitors. Addressing hand hygiene compliance in washrooms is an important part of this responsibility. Given that 80% of all infections are transmitted by the hands (according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), it is vital that employees and visitors are provided with the most hygienic environment to reduce the risk of infection.


If an infection does occur, especially in an enclosed environment, there is the potential for it to spread if hand hygiene compliance isn’t adhered to. Dr. Chris Smith, Virologist at Cambridge University, revealed in a


46 | WASHROOM HYGIENE


recent Radio 2 programme on hand hygiene that to become infected with norovirus – one of the biggest causes of gastronomical upheaval – someone would only need to be in contact with 10 particles to catch it; a person with the infection can shed enough virus to infect the world population. Infections can impact productivity and sickness in the workplace. The UK Office for National Statistics estimated that more than 400 million working days were lost due to sickness absence between 2013 and 2015.


The risk of germ transfer can be minimised and absenteeism reduced if facility managers better consider washroom design. Dr. Smith claimed that the majority of toilets are “abysmally designed”, and this poor design is making occupants more vulnerable to infection. If you think about the washroom at your workplace, it is likely that you will push a door to enter the washroom, and pull the door to exit. Many people will fail to wash their hands effectively (or not at all) after using the toilet, and will touch the handle before exiting. This handle will therefore harbour bacteria which can be easily transferred. When you consider the overall hand hygiene of occupants, logistically this design doesn’t make sense.


One suggestion to improve overall hand hygiene and reduce the risk of infection would be to place hand sanitisers outside each washroom, and any other areas where the risk of germ transfer might be high. Examples of these locations would be at the entrance and exit of the workplace, areas close to lifts and stairs and any location where food is being served, so that occupants can be assured that any bacteria that may have been picked up can be eradicated. Certain sanitisers can kill up to 99.99% of germs, but if facility managers wish to effectively safeguard their workforce and visitors, then it is vital that they choose a sanitiser which can kill 99.999% of many


common germs. That extra ‘9’ could prove critical in stopping the spread of infections and reducing absenteeism in the workplace.


It isn’t just the location of the dispensers that can impact hand hygiene compliance, but also how the elements inside the washroom function and are displayed. It is crucial that washrooms contain hygienic sealed dispensers. Foam dispensers are advisable for workplaces as they require 36% less product for an effective hand wash compared with traditional soap and can cut water consumption by 45%. These dispensers can provide enough product for over 1,400 hand washes.


It is also important for the washroom to look appealing, and to accurately represent a company. Shabby, dirty dispensers which are empty will reflect negatively on any business. Instead, facility managers should consider investing in bespoke designed dispensers that fit perfectly in the working environment, and can be designed to include company logos, slogans and can match a company’s overall branding. Having an aesthetically pleasing, reliable dispenser system with readily available soap will mean that occupants will be more inclined to be hand hygiene compliant.


Cost savings should be considered too. Thanks to advances in hand hygiene products, modern systems tend to dispense no more than a controlled amount of soap or cream, making them much more cost- effective. Manufactured from durable plastic components and tested for high usage environments, modern dispensers are built to last with the majority of manufacturers offering lifetime guarantees.


Making use of all these advances, businesses and workplaces are able to create washrooms that exceed visitor expectations – providing them with much more than a mere ‘facility’.


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