Hand Hygiene Within the Healthcare Industry
There is a heightened importance upon hand hygiene within healthcare settings since it can directly impact the health and safety of both patients and staff. The increased risk of spreading infection amongst others only adds to an already demanding and stressful environment. The spread of infection can be easily prevented within facilities via the inclusion of hand hygiene products, allowing employees to always have access to a quick and easy hand hygiene solution.
Compliance Rates for Hand Hygiene
Many employees tend to claim that overcrowded environments, dry & irritated hands and inconveniently located hygiene equipment are the main reasonings for not following regular hand hygiene. The Centres for Disease Control estimate that hand hygiene compliance rates tend to sit around the 40% mark but can often reach even lower figures. Many workplaces’ instances require active compliance with hand hygiene measures such as, but not limited to:
- Direct contact with patients
- Putting on clothes prior to inserting a catheter
- Removing equipment/clothing
- Using a washroom
- Contact with objects/surfaces nearby a patient
- Moving between a contaminated and a clean site
- The touching of wound dressings, non-intact skin, bodily fluids etc.
Ensuring compliance with hand hygiene guidelines and recommendations is incredibly important, and therefore the provision of fast & convenient methods to practice this is vital. A study showed that whilst operating within an overcrowded or understaffed hospital, compliance rates were as low as 25%, meaning the risk of contracting a HAI was incredibly high. In comparison, this compliance rate saw an increase to 70% when conditions were improved upon.
The Problem of Healthcare-Associated Infections
As such an on-going and common problem, the World Health Organisation suggest there are around 1.4 million people suffering with some form of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) at any moment in time. This is a huge issue even within many developed countries, with 5-10% of complications experienced by patients being due to HAIs, with the U.S. alone accounting for over 80,000 HAI related deaths.
Industrial Hand Sanitiser Solutions
The most effective methods of hand sanitisation are via alcohol-based solutions, a formula consisting of 60-95% alcohol has been deemed by the CDC as the most effective in killing bacteria. By ensuring that your facilities have hand sanitiser dispensers installed throughout, you are providing your employees with enough opportunity to properly clean their hands during the day. Hand sanitiser is usable during most patient care routines and the strategic placement of sanitiser stations in high-traffic areas will result in much higher compliance rates.
Fitting your facilities with touch-free handwashing solutions, such as automatic faucets and soap dispensers, can provide employees with all the necessary means to practice effective hand hygiene and avoid cross-contamination. Wet hands are more likely to spread germs than dry hands and therefore recontamination via unnecessary touchpoints in the washroom can be a common issue. By conveniently placing hand sanitiser dispensers within washrooms, you can make sure more people are exiting with clean and safe hands.
Cost-Effective Hygiene Solutions from Citron Shop
With over 40 years’ experience in providing commercial hygiene products to businesses, Citron Shop offer a wide range of wholesale cleaning products available to bulk buy to ensure you never run out of supplies and your facilities is always hygienic. Browse our full range of commercial hygiene products today. If you’re not sure what products you need for your business, get in touch with us today and our team of hygiene experts would be happy to discuss how we can meet your hygiene needs.