Get a grip on hygiene


This exclusive report from Jayne Wood, RGN, ONC (Masters in Health Services Research), studies how we can eliminate the spread of infection from door handles.


In 2007, around 9,000 people were recorded as having died with Meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections or Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infections as the underlying cause or a contributory factor. In 2004, the Department of Health confirmed that 300,000 was the best estimate of the number of healthcare associated infections per year and remains the most up to date statistic in this area. The estimated cost to NHS hospitals of caring for people that acquire a healthcare associated infection is over £1billion a year.


Hand and surface disinfection practices are the first line of defense against infection. However, these have fallen short of expectations as opportunistic organisms put patients and healthcare workers at risk. Approximately 80% of infectious diseases are


40 | TOMORROW’S CLEANING | The future of our cleaning industry TECHNOLOGY


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known to be transmitted by touch. Bacteria found in healthcare facilities can survive on inanimate surfaces for days and even months. Surfaces in hospitals, healthcare facilities and public places are frequently touched and therefore could become reservoirs of infection.


A recent study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine at the University of London found that while 95% of us claim to wash our hands after going to the toilet, only 10-12% of us actually do so. Everyone who enters the toilets has to open the toilet door on the way out, meaning 88 – 90% of users will be leaving their bacteria on the door handle and sharing it with those who have washed their hands. This means that even the non soap-dodgers are subject to further unsettling repercussions: one in six UK mobile phones, for instance, is contaminated


with faecal bacteria, which can survive for hours on hands and surfaces, transferring to everything we touch.


The solution to this problem is multifaceted and includes the requirement for education, changing behaviour, and cultural thinking within the population. This all takes time and resources in an already cash strapped society. There are some ways in which the problem can be addressed very quickly by public and commercial organisations. This includes addressing the problem of bacteria which is harbored on the door handles of toilets and other public places. An evaluation of the current product market, which provides solutions in this area is presented in the accompanying table.


CLICK HERE to view the table.


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