“Do healthcare staff actually have the time to


wash or sanitise their hands for 30-60 seconds, and is


there any way of speeding up the process?”


The Tork Foam Soap dispenser works well in healthcare because it has been designed to require a particularly low push-force to make the unit easy to use. Each refill houses 2500 shots of soap – more than twice the amount in an average liquid soap dispenser. This means the dispenser is less likely to run out of soap when a hand wash is urgently needed.


Drying hands is a vital part of any hand hygiene regime since damp hands will transmit more than double the amount of bacteria as dry hands. The wrong type of paper towel dispenser could also slow up the hand drying process.


For example, dispensers for folded towels that have a low capacity will run out too quickly, forcing the healthcare worker to waste valuable seconds trying to locate a towel elsewhere. Cleaners in charge of refilling these units may decide to compensate for this lower capacity by ‘over- stuffing’ dispensers with more towels than they should hold. This makes it difficult for the user to pull out a single towel from the bottom, causing frustration while also wasting valuable seconds.


Roll towel dispensers tend to offer a higher paper capacity than folded towels, but some models are prone to jamming. For this reason, all hand towel dispensers in a healthcare unit should function efficiently while also being kept constantly topped up and offering a high capacity of towels.


The Tork PeakServe Continuous Hand Towel works particularly well in a busy hospital since the dispenser caters for more than 2000 guests per refill. The single- sheet dispensing system of the unit means it is unlikely to run out between maintenance checks. Each healthcare worker is provided with a clean towel in just three seconds while the unit will never jam, since it gives out paper from a continuous sheet.


www.tomorrowscleaning.com


Another good option is the high-capacity Tork Matic Hand Towel Roll dispenser, which holds sufficient towels for up to 1400 hand dries.


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, or where soap and water supplies are not available.


The placement of dispensers is all-important in healthcare if the sanitising process is to be sped up. Busy staff should not have to waste time walking to and from a dispenser, so hand rubs should be made available wherever they are needed.


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.


During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been more important than ever to stick to clear cleaning and hand hygiene regimes as well as to practise social distancing. The Tork Safe at Work: COVID-19 Healthcare Toolkit supports healthcare staff with hands-on training and includes resources for better hand hygiene, surface hygiene and dispenser placement as well as downloadable instruction posters.


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, the work of the busy staff will be eased and hygienic hand hygiene outcomes will be facilitated in the fastest possible time.


www.tork.ie/safeatwork (https://www.tork.co.uk/about/hygiene/dispenser-placement-healthcare) HEALTHCARE HYGIENE | 13


"


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