FEATURE
“A lot of people in science are looking to prove something when they set up an experiment, but it was very much ‘we need to prove that this product is bad in some way, what can you find?”
Berardi said: “Professor Wilcox has always been very careful to say that the use of electrical dryers is not dangerous in any way, but it’s all about risk and the potential risks. There are situations where hygiene is paramount, and it is another factor that needs to be taken into consideration in the design of washrooms. It may be less critical in a bowling alley or a cinema or something like that, but it’s more important in situations where hygiene is important, be it hospitals, restaurants or food preparation environments.”
Similarly, and somewhat surprisingly, given their reaction to the study, Dyson also made sure to say that they had no issues with paper either when it comes to hygiene, but that problems only arise in situations when paper may not be readily available.
Toby added: “If paper’s there and people dry their hands properly and completely, that’s brilliant. It’s hygienic and that’s a good way of drying your hands, we’d never say anything
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otherwise. We just need people to understand that using an Airblade is just as hygienic. If you put it all together, and everything is available and there, Airblade and paper are, hygiene-wise, on a par.”
Whatever the method though, whether it be with paper or hand dryers, both the ETS and Dyson were in agreement that the act of drying itself is vital in the quest for a hygienic washroom. Berardi explained: “If you wash your hands with soap, you will remove microorganisms and a lot will get washed down the sink. However, there is water on the hands that will contain bacteria, so if hands are wet and you then touch door knobs and things like that, you will spread microorganisms, so good hand drying is important.”
While Toby added: “Get your hands dry by whatever method is available, and when you leave and have to grab the door handle, if everybody is doing the same, it’s going to be a pretty hygienic environment. With wet hands, all you’re going to do is you’re going to cross-contaminate
and move what’s on your hands to whatever you touch and back the other way. But if your hands are dry when you leave the washroom, it’s about as hygienic as it gets.”
So, the ETS and Dyson are in agreement about one thing, at least. But while both say that drying is paramount to curb the spread of bacteria in the washroom, neither side look willing to back down in the argument to find the best method, with Dyson in particular keen to carry on developing new ideas to find the perfect drying method. Toby said: “We’re always looking at new technologies that we can bring out. We’ve got an ever-growing research team that’s doubled in size in the last five years, and we’re always looking for ways to improve it. It isn’t sterile, it’s not perfect, but we want to make it perfect.”
For now then at least, it looks like the battle could continue to rage on. There’s not quite any need to fire up the engines in the Harrier Jump Jet just yet, but until a definitive answer is found, it’s time to decide, which side are you on?
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