“Medical staff need to cleanse their hands frequently to avoid the risk of passing
infections and viruses on from patient to patient.”
Roll towel dispensers tend to offer a higher capacity of paper but some models are prone to jamming. For this reason, all hand towel dispensers in a healthcare unit should function efficiently, offer a high capacity of towels, while also being kept constantly topped up. And these towels should be of a sufficiently high quality to absorb moisture quickly.
The high-capacity Tork Matic Hand Towel Roll dispenser works well in hospitals, for example, since the dispenser holds sufficient towels for up to 1,400 hand dries. The unit also gives out towels one at a time which helps to reduce consumption and minimise the risk of cross-contamination.
According to WHO guidelines, hand washing may be replaced with sanitising in situations where the hands are not visibly soiled and where there is no time to wash.
Recent news reports have suggested that some bacteria are becoming resistant to hand sanitisers. During a 19-year study, enterococci samples from two Australian hospitals were analysed and the results indicated that bacteria were becoming better at surviving in sterilised environments.
However, follow-up articles have balanced these reports and reiterated that hand sanitisers save thousands of lives each year because they are highly effective at killing germs – provided they contain 60 to 80% alcohol. They also need to be used for the 20-30 second period recommended by WHO for maximum effect.
www.tomorrowscleaning.com
The placement of dispensers is also all-important if the process is to be sped up. Busy healthcare staff should not have to waste time walking to and from a sanitiser dispenser: hand rubs should be made available wherever they are needed.
In fact, studies have shown that the number of sanitiser dispensers supplied is less important than where they are positioned. According to one study, optimising dispenser placement can increase usage by more than 50% whereas simply increasing the number of dispensers has a much lower impact on usage.
While every hospital is unique, Tork has issued a guide to optimum sanitiser dispenser placement at hospital entrances, at nurses’ stations, in a single bed room and on a four-bed ward. Tork Alcohol Gel Hand Sanitiser is available in dispensers for general use as well as in smaller formats that can be clipped to a patient’s bed or issued to a medical worker.
Hygiene in healthcare units needs to be quick and easy while also ensuring that the highest possible standards are maintained. Where the right products are supplied in the right dispensers and in convenient, strategic places they will facilitate the work of busy staff – and provide hygienic hand hygiene in the fastest possible time.
www.tork.co.uk/placement HEALTHCARE HYGIENE | 45
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