The importance of handwashing
Germs and bacteria are everywhere and can quickly transfer from object to person, person to object and person to person. Washing hands correctly can prevent the spread of those germs and reduce the spread of infection.
Handwashing has proven benefits dating back to the 1800s. Hungarian physician Ignaz P. Semmelweis found that physicians who washed their hands prevented mothers from dying after giving birth. Ignaz P. Semmelweis’s discovery changed how hospitals looked at cleanliness and hygiene.
Since then, evidence repeatedly shows that hands play a significant role in spreading bacteria. In healthcare, it means that it doesn’t matter how advanced technology gets to prevent infections. If we do not wash our hands, it may reverse the whole process.
Practising good hand hygiene prevents the spread of health-associated infections by 40%*. With that in mind, it makes good hand hygiene is vital. One of the main ways to combat this and reduce infections is the most simple – by making sure your hands are clean. While handwashing is not the only way to minimise this, it is one of the most important. It is simple and inexpensive.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention states that you should wash your hands:
- Before, during, and after preparing food
- Before eating food
- Before and after caring for someone at home who is sick with vomiting or diarrhoea
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
- After using the toilet
- After changing diapers/nappies or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
- After handling pet food or pet treats
- After touching rubbish or waste
Touch-free solutions provide higher hand hygiene.
In public environments, anything that is touched regularly is a hot spot for germs and bacteria. As places in healthcare look for ways to ensure the highest standard of hygiene, touch-free solutions are becoming more popular. Touch-free dispensers remove common contact points, breeding grounds for bacteria. Their use, therefore, maximises infection control by preventing cross-contamination between users.
Hylab, for example, provides solutions that help remove these contact points. The Modular Touch Free dispenses soap or sanitiser without the user needing to touch the dispenser. This removes contact with frequently touched points where bacteria can transfer.
Even with the right solutions in place, it is counterproductive when we don’t dry our hands, as damp skin also spreads bacteria. In places such as hospitals, people are more vulnerable to infection, making thorough hand drying integral to preventing the spread of germs.
For hand drying, Hylab also offers the Modular Autocut Dispenser. The Autocut is an alternative to the standard paper dispenser as users can dispense paper towels without touching the dispenser, making it the utmost in hygiene. Businesses also see benefits, including cost-savings and reduced waste, as the unit dispenses one sheet of paper at a time.
Touch-free products provide tremendous benefits. They are a cost-effective, safer and more hygienic solution.
For more information on how we can help your business, contact us today.
