Cleaning Hygiene Today Cleaning Hygiene Magazine
With super flu continuing to spread across the UK and the NHS under more pressure than ever, research from Initial Washroom Hygiene has found that 15 per cent of UK adults still don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom, and two thirds don’t wash their hands on arrival at work.
In light of this,Jamie Woodhall, UK Technical & Innovations Manager at Initial Washroom Hygiene has provided commentary below on the urgent steps employers need to take to protect people at work in the run up to Christmas.
Woodhall said: “NHS England has revealed it treated an average of 2,660 flu patients per day in hospital last week – the highest ever for this time of year and up 55 per cent up on last week. With the country facing a ‘worst case scenario,’ situation for December, it is vital employers encourage good workplace handwashing habits.
“Our research shows that 15 per cent of UK adults don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom, and two thirds DON’T wash their hands on arrival at work. This can have significant consequences for sick leave in the workplace, with transmission via hands being responsible for spreading around 80 per cent of common infections.
“The easiest way to encourage better workplace hand hygiene is to place posters in washrooms and food preparation zones reminding colleagues to wash their hands after using the toilet, before preparing food or eating, after coughing or sneezing, or returning from outside, and to use the correct handwashing technique when they do so.
“Remember the NHS public health guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic to wash your hands while singing “Happy Birthday” twice? This is still an absolutely crucial way to break the chain of infection. Use clean running water, fully cover palms, backs of hands, between fingers and under nails with soap, and rinse thoroughly. And then dry properly. Damp hands spread up to 1,000 times more bacteria than dry ones, so keep paper towels well stocked and hand dryers in good working order.
“These simple measures will help stop the spread of flu and other illnesses, keep employees healthy – and businesses running – during this flu season.”
