HEALTHCARE HYGIENE


Promoting hygiene in healthcare with washrooms


Keeping healthcare environments clean and hygienic is complex, but washrooms should never be overlooked in their contribution to infection prevention says Paul Mulready, Marketing Manager of Northwood Hygiene Products.


Adequate hand hygiene is essential in reducing the spread of germs and viruses, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claiming that washing hands with soap and water can reduce deaths from diarrhoeal disease by up to 50%.


Handwashing helps to prevent


Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs), which are dangerous for patients, staff and


visitors. Over in the UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) estimates that 300,000 patients a year contract an HAI as a result of care in the NHS. Furthermore, these infections are believed to cost the NHS approximately £1bn a year.


With handwashing being so important, washroom facilities are a key part of any healthcare setting, allowing healthcare professionals to wash their hands before and after seeing patients and for patients and visitors to keep their hands clean when using the facilities.


Dry hands spread less bacteria


Washing our hands is important, but drying them properly is essential too – damp hands can spread 1,000 times more bacteria than dry hands.


A study that investigated which drying methods (jet air, warm air dryers and paper towels) contributed least towards the contamination of the environment, and users found that bacterial counts in close proximity to hand drying were 4.5- fold higher for the jet air dryer, compared with the warm air dryer and 27-fold higher compared with use of paper towels (Best, Parnell and Wilkcox, 2014). The study concluded that air dryers may be unsuitable for use in healthcare settings because they may promote cross-contamination either in the environment itself or by the washroom visitor.


Dispenser design is key The design of washroom dispensers is perhaps more


12 | TOMORROW'S CLEANING IRELAND


important than you might think. With washrooms being constantly used, it’s essential to control the use of paper towels to prevent overuse. Providers should therefore choose high-capacity, controlled-use dispensers that restrict the use of consumables like hand towels. Not only does this help to reduce costs, it also reduces waste and is therefore more environmentally sustainable.


Dispensers that are sealed and splashproof keep products safely stored inside, helping to prevent the contents becoming contaminated. Dispensers designed to release one length of paper at a time will naturally limit consumption, reducing overuse and contributing to sustainability.


Higher capacity, lower cost


Many hospital and healthcare settings choose our Raphael proprietary washroom system because it provides superior hygiene and cost in use, whilst offering strong environmental benefits. For example, our tissue and soap products are made in the UK to cut down on transport and our toilet tissue dispensers use an innovative Infinity paper system, allowing users to replenish one roll at a time, ensuring full roll usage for the end user and minimising waste.


The high-capacity Raphael collection comprises four hand towel and two toilet tissue dispensers, along with a soap dispenser. Every product within the range is designed to reduce waste and overconsumption – our roll towel dispensers, for example, dispense at controlled lengths and our Z towel dispensers dispense one sheet at a time to avoid overuse.


Having well-equipped washrooms in hospital and healthcare environments is vital to combat viruses and HAIs, and healthcare managers can help to keep people safe and healthy by investing in the right solutions that allow for good hand hygiene. Not only does using the most appropriate products and dispensers help to improve patient and staff welfare, it ultimately helps to lower costs too.


www.northwood.co.uk twitter.com/TomoCleaning


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22