The importance of hand washing in the workplace

A large number of infectious diseases can be spread from one person to the next through contaminated hands, around 80% of communicable diseases are transferred via touch. Such diseases include gastrointestinal infections such as salmonella and respiratory infections such as influenza. These can be prevented if hands are washed properly, and this can stop the spread of germs like bacteria and viruses. On average you come into contact with 300 surfaces every 30 minutes, exposing you to 840000 germs.

When to wash your hands

You should wash your hands thoroughly throughout the day but especially after

–     Using the toilet.

–     Before, during and after the preparation of food.

–     Between handling raw or uncooked food.

–     Before eating

–     Before and after attending to anyone else (sick people).

–     After smoking.

–     After handling rubbish.

–     After working in the garden.

–     After handling animals.

The scary fact is that only 5% of people wash their hands correctly, and around 33% of people don’t use soap when washing their hands. Proper hand washing can reduce diarrhea rates by 40% and respiratory infections by close to 20%. Damp hands are 1000x more likely to spread bacteria than dry hands, so it is also important to dry your hands after washing them thoroughly.

How to wash your hands correctly

–     Wet your hands with clean, running water.

–     Apply soap and lather well for 20 seconds.

–     Rub hands together rapidly across all surfaces of your hands and wrists.

–     Don’t forget the back of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails.

–     Rinse well under clean running water and make sure all traces of the soap are removed.

–     Dry your hands well using a clean towel or air dry them.

Let us help you

Personal hygiene policies and practices are the building blocks for any successful business. With this in mind Ecowize provides a vast array of washroom hygiene solutions making it easier to maintain personal and work place hygiene. Ensuring the safety of staff and end-customers always.

Sources: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/handwashing-why-its-important

https://allportablesinks.com/blogs/news/17-handwashing-facts-and-statistics

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