Now more than ever proper hand hygiene is essential to maintaining a healthy, productive and successful workforce. Government guidelines say washing hands for 20 seconds is paramount to preventing and slowing the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and other viruses. Since the beginning of the pandemic authorities have worked tiresomely to help reduce the risk of illness and, with our cooperation in practicing proper hand hygiene, we can begin to see an uplift in health and sanitation across the UK.
Learn why hand hygiene is so important and discover Government authorities’ suggestions to improve hand hygiene standards within your facilities, in turn bettering the health and hygiene of your organisation as a whole.
Why Hand Hygiene is Important to Prevent Illness
Hands are the main pathway for germs transmission therefore good hand hygiene can help to reduce the risk of disease and improve overall health within any business. In a single day we come into contact with thousands of objects and surfaces, from computer keyboards to coffee cups to desktops and door handles, all of which are high traffic touchpoints where germs can spread. Therefore, effective hand washing methods help to safely eliminate germs on our hands which significantly reduces the rate of cross contamination and illness.
How to Effectively Clean Your Hands Using Soap and Water
Proper hand hygiene is absolutely essential to removing harmful bacteria and limiting the spread of infection through touch. Every time you wash your hands ensure you follow best practices to aid the prevention of germs from spreading across your commercial facilities.
You should wash your hands for the amount of time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice. According to the NHS, if you do not have immediate access to soap and water then use an alcohol-based hand rub if available with at least 60-95% alcohol content. The CDC state that less than 60% alcohol content in hand sanitisers may only work to reduce the growth of germs on our hands instead of killing them.
- Wet your hands with water and apply enough soap to cover both hands.
- Rub your hands together.
- Rub the back of each hand and in between the fingers.
- Rub the back of your fingers against your palms.
- Rub both thumbs with the opposite hand.
- Rub the tips of your fingers on the palm of the other hand.
- Rinse your hands with water.
- Dry your hands completely with correct hand drying methods.
When You Should Wash Your Hands
On average, we come into contact with 840,000 germs every 30 mins which is why there needs to be a focus on consistently maintaining good general hygiene throughout the day to avoid spreading germs from our hands onto other surfaces. Guidelines regarding this matter suggest washing our hands multiple times each day, especially:
- After using the toilet
- Before and after eating/handling food
- After blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
- After touching animals
- When arriving home
Implementing Proper Hand Hygiene Solutions in Your Business
In order to ensure all who, come and go have the necessary facilities to practice effective hand hygiene it’s vital to make sure your organisation is fully equipped with hand sanitising and soap solutions. For best practice, the Health and Safety Executive suggest to add water, soap and paper towels or hand dryers and handwashing facilities in washrooms as well as hand sanitising stations within washrooms and around high traffic areas of your facilities, such as near stairwells, kitchen areas, offices, main entrances and exits, etc.
In addition, signs and posters placed alongside hand hygiene equipment can help remind employees and visitors of the proper handwashing techniques, encouraging good hygiene at all times.
Wholesale Hand Hygiene Solutions Available at the Citron Shop
Citron Hygiene offer a wide range of cost-effective hygiene solutions available to buy in bulk. Ensure you’re providing effective hand hygiene methods within your facilities to allow employees, visitors and customers to maintain excellent hygiene standards.
Take a look at our Gojo Hand Cleaner or Free N Clean Foam Soap to ensure your washroom is well equipped to keep staff and visitors safe. Alternatively, you can contact our team for more information.