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New research demonstrates that the six-step hand-hygiene technique recommended by the World Health Organisation is superior to a three-step method suggested by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in reducing bacteria on healthcare workers’ hands. 

The study was published online in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

Jacqui Reilly, PhD, lead author of the study and professor of infection prevention and control at Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland, commented:

“Hand hygiene is regarded as the most important intervention to reduce healthcare-associated infections, but there is limited evidence on which technique is most effective. This study provides a foundation for effective best practices to implement on the frontlines of healthcare.”

During the randomised controlled trial in an urban, acute-care teaching hospital, researchers observed 42 physicians and 78 nurses completing hand-washing using an alcohol-based hand rub after delivering patient care. The six-step technique was determined to be microbiologically more effective for reducing the median bacterial count (3.28 to 2.58) compared to the three-step method (3.08 to 2.88). However, using the six-step method required 25 per cent more time to complete (42.50 seconds vs. 35 seconds).

 Reilly added:

“One of the interesting incidental findings was that compliance with the six-step technique was lacking. Only 65 per cent of providers completed the entire hand hygiene process despite participants having instructions on the technique in front of them and having their technique observed. This warrants further investigation for this particular technique and how compliance rates can be improved.”

The researchers recommend authors of international guidance should consider this evidence when making official recommendations on best practices in hand hygiene.

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Marylebone Cricket Club is the world’s most active cricket club, and proud owner of Lord’s Cricket Ground. The ground – located in the heart of London – has a total capacity of almost 30,000 people. It is not only a venue where international and national sporting events are held, but it is also a popular tourist attraction. 

The venue is internationally renowned, and Marylebone Cricket Club wanted to ensure that it remained that way. Accordingly, in the last 25 years, it has invested £50 million into various ground modernisation projects. However at Lord’s it isn’t just the grounds which have undergone changes in the past year. At the start of 2016, the club wanted to bring the focus back to the core venue components, and focus on improving the washroom experience for players, staff and visitors by ensuring that they have the best hand hygiene products available which can promote their reputable brand identity.

No matter what the location, employees and visitors should be made aware of the importance of hand hygiene. This can carry particular importance at high-profile sporting venues such as Lord’s Cricket Ground. The crowded communal space where players reside at Lord’s before, during and after a match takes place can be a breeding ground for microbes. Germ transfer can occur from the player’s dripping sweat, the sharing of towels and general changing room moisture.1 This vulnerable environment must be better safeguarded against the spread of infection.

Lord’s Cricket Ground is also home to various eateries where food is produced and consumed. It revealed that 40% of people are concerned about food hygiene when eating out2 – a concern which could be easily minimised. Hands are responsible for the transmission of 80% of infections3. Providing effective hand hygiene solutions can minimise the spread of germs and infections.

To ensure that their hand hygiene needs were appropriately met, Marylebone Cricket Club turned to Deb – a global leader in skin care products which offer bespoke hand hygiene solutions that combine the vital need to prevent the spread of germs, with innovative branding and design opportunities. Deb understood the importance of providing players, staff and visitors with appropriate hand hygiene solutions. In order to achieve this, Deb recommended the replacement of old dispensers with Deb’s leading bespoke hand wash and sanitise dispensers.

A two-pronged attack to improve hand hygiene 

195 Deb Refresh Azure FOAM hand wash cartridges and bespoke Lord’s dispensers were installed in public toilets in the grounds and restaurants, staff toilets and in the shower rooms. A foam hand wash was recommended by Deb as it offers a more economical choice compared with lotions – as a standard 1-litre cartridge can yield over 1,400 hand washes. Foam soaps can also contribute to significant water and energy savings. It has been estimated that their use can reduce water consumption by up to 45% and reduce product consumption and chemical waste4, whilst also still being effective and pleasant to use.

This was of particular importance to Marylebone Cricket Club – as it has been named the first cricket ground in the country to run on 100% renewable energy. When choosing hand hygiene solutions, having environmentally friendly products was a priority. The Deb Refresh Azure FOAM hand wash is EU Ecolabel certified and also contains skin conditioners to improve skin hydration and prevent drying.

Deb also installed InstantFOAM Complete hand sanitiser dispensers in public and staff areas at Lord’s – the world’s number one virucidal foam hand sanitiser – which can kill 99.999% of many common germs. For a location as well-known and as well-respected as Lord’s, ensuring that any outbreak of illness due to poor hand hygiene is prevented is crucial for the establishment’s reputation among many factors.

For Marylebone Cricket Club, it isn’t simply about providing its players, staff and visitors with leading hand hygiene solutions, but it is also about enhancing the overall washroom experience. The club therefore decided to ensure that all dispensers were bespoke designed to fit with the cricket ground’s brand.

The club chose to install aesthetically pleasing, bespoke washroom dispensers to allow the ground to promote a cohesive and inclusive brand identity. Deb’s design team worked with the cricket club to create a dispenser which reflected their exact brand specification. Deb’s dispensers have the largest surface area for printed design, allowing the choice of imagery and wording to create the biggest impact. The designs produced on the dispenser are also chemical and fade-resistant, and include a lifetime guarantee. These eye-catching bespoke dispensers are also likely to make washroom users more inclined to wash their hands with soap, encouraging better hand hygiene compliance.

The Deb dispensers installed at Lord’s also use Biocote’s antimicrobial technology, which has been proven to achieve up to a 99.99% reduction in bacteria, mould and fungi over a 24 hour period. The presence of BioCote’s logo on the dispensers are also providing reassurance to players, staff and visitors that excellence in hand hygiene procedures is of paramount importance to the cricket ground. Additionally, Deb also provided several hands-free dispensers to the cricket ground. These stylish and highly efficient TouchFREE dispensers have been installed in the disabled toilets in the venue to provide ease of access for visitors and staff.

The hand hygiene solutions chosen were the right fit for the world-famous Lords Cricket Ground, according to Paul Jakeway, Marketing Director at Deb: “Both the products and the dispensers installed have provided players, staff and visitors with an improved overall washroom experience, and will help reduce the spread of germs and infections at the heavily populated venue and promote hand hygiene compliance.”

Derek Brewer, MCC Chief Executive & Secretary at Lord’s Cricket Ground added: “Lord’s is a world-class sporting venue, which is dedicated to providing players and visitors with effective solutions to prevent the spread of germs and infections. Upon receiving such positive employee feedback on Deb’s hand hygiene solutions, we are now considering increasing the number of soap cartridges and bespoke dispensers to all possible locations across the ground.”

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By Dr Peter Barratt, Technical Manager, Initial Washroom Hygiene

Providing clean and pleasant washroom facilities for staff or customers is essential for businesses. A positive washroom experience plays a crucial role in maintaining employee wellbeing, and even shaping your business’ brand with visitors. There are several considerations for creating the perfect washroom, and letting even one slip can significantly affect the hygiene, ease-of-use and aesthetics of your washrooms.  

Whether you’ve just moved to new premises, or you’re looking to improve your existing facilities, below are some helpful tips to help you create the perfect washroom environment.

1. All hands on deck 
   

Washing hands properly after using the toilet is vital when it comes to preventing the spread of germs, bacteria and illness, so it’s essential to ensure each washroom is equipped with enough sinks, soap dispensers and hand dryers. This will help encourage every washroom visitor to wash and dry their hands.

Drying hands thoroughly after washing them requires little effort (20 to 30 seconds is ideal) and is a very important step in maintaining good hygiene.  It is worth remembering that damp hands spread 1,000 times more bacteria than dry hands[1].

Applying hand sanitiser after hand washing and drying is another important precaution employees can take at work.  Hand sanitisers can form a long-lasting barrier against microbes and can provide ongoing protection for several hours after use.  If space allows, then installing a hand sanitiser dispenser in your washrooms or public areas can encourage a more proactive approach to hand hygiene.

Bacteria and viruses spread easily from one person to another through indirect contact with contaminated surfaces. Consequently, reducing the number of ‘touch-points’ within the washroom will help to limit the spread of germs. Initial provides a comprehensive range of no-touch automatic dispensers. No-touch provides a comfortable user experience, as the user does not have to make contact with the products in order to operate them, thereby greatly reducing the risk of cross contamination.

2. Add a splash of colour

Injecting some colour in a washroom could not only make the environment more visually appealing to visitors, but can even deliver benefits in terms of positively influencing their psychology. Several studies looking at the concept of colour affecting human behaviour have been conducted, helping to deepen our understanding of the different behavioural responses colour can elicit.

Coloured washroom products, such as Initial’s Signature COLOUR range, are designed to harness the power of colour psychology to provoke improved hygiene habits.

3. Sanitary waste disposal

For female washroom users, you will need to provide sanitary waste disposal bins, which should ideally be available in every cubicle. Equipping your washroom with the best sanitary disposal units means you can be assured you are offering female visitors a safe, discreet and hygienic washroom experience.

Sanitary items are one of the main causes of toilet blockages, which can be expensive for facilities managers to remedy. Despite legislation making it mandatory for sanitary waste facilities to be provided in workplace and public washrooms, Initial Washroom Hygiene research found more than half (54%) of women in the UK have experienced a situation in which there was no feminine hygiene unit located in the toilet cubicle when they needed one. Over a quarter (27%) said they had ‘no choice’ but to flush in these situations. Providing reliable and durable sanitary disposal units in your facility will help prevent blockages in your washroom and could save you from expensive repairs.

4. What’s that smell?

A washroom which smells bad is off-putting for anyone. As people will often make judgements about your business based on the facilities it provides, it’s important to consider your washroom’s aroma. Scenting products can help to control and minimise odours that come from malodour-producing bacteria.

You may want to consider installing air fresheners that automatically dispense fragrance to help neutralise odours and create a pleasant-smelling environment. An air purifier can also help to eradicate any airborne bacteria and viruses including the flu virus, E Coli, Salmonella, Streptococcus, Rhinovirus and Hepatitis A.

5. Take the bins out

It may seem like an obvious consideration, but many businesses neglect to provide enough waste bins in the washroom. This can result in people leaving paper towels lying around the sink and on the floor, leading to an untidy and unsightly washroom. It may even result in people flushing paper towels down the toilet, which could result in blockages and costly plumbing bills.

6. Cleanliness and Maintenance

Finally, a well-equipped washroom is worth very little if hygiene standards are not maintained. Upholding a fresh and clean environment is vital for employee wellbeing and visitor experience. Surfaces in communal areas should regularly be cleaned, using anti-bacterial wipes and surface sanitisers where possible.

Whilst routine cleaning is important, it can’t always prevent deposits of dirt, dust and grease in hard-to-reach areas. It is therefore recommended that washroom facilities in the workplace are deep cleaned at least twice a year, to prevent the build-up of embedded dirt, grime and resulting microbiological contamination.

These tips will help you to provide the best washroom environment possible; a washroom that not only smells fresh, but is hygienic and aesthetically pleasing too.

At a relatively low cost, businesses have the potential to drive better washroom behaviours. By altering poor hygiene habits and instilling an environment in which best practice can flourish, improvements can be seen in visitors’ health, workplace productivity and morale, as well as having a knock-on effect on reducing employee absenteeism because illnesses are less easily spread. A happy washroom makes for both happy employees and clients, so make sure you’re getting it right.

www.initial.co.uk

[1] D. Patrick, G. Findon, & T. Miller, Residual moisture determines the level of touch-contact associated bacterial transfer following hand washing in Epidemiology & Infection, 119, (3), pp. 319-325 (1997)

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Study by Initial Washroom Hygiene finds microbiological activity is 18 per cent higher in hot-desking office environments

A study released today (21 June) by Initial Washroom Hygiene has found that hot-desking workplaces may be less hygienic than those with fixed-desks, increasing the risk of cross-contamination and the spread of colds and viruses, such as Norovirus.

Hot-desking, where employees don’t have one fixed workstation, but instead switch desks every day, has become increasingly popular in recent years. However, these findings suggest that having germs from different people on the desk surface, computer mice and other equipment, means these workstations are typically home to more bacteria.

The swabbing study was conducted using one company of over 100 employees with a fixed-desk environment. The same company then moved to a hot-desking environment, and the study was repeated in the same manner four months later. Experts from Initial Washroom Hygiene used an ATP bioluminescence reader to measure the microbiological concentration of various items on 40 different workstations, to determine what levels of bacteria these surfaces were harbouring. On average, the readings in the hot-desking office were 18 per cent higher than those in the fixed-desk office.

The use of communal computer mice in the hot-desk scenario was a key contributor to the difference in hygiene levels. Shared mice in the hot-desking environment had a 41 per cent higher microbiological reading compared to readings taken from the computer mice on the fixed-desks. Desk surfaces were also found to be less contaminated with microbial activity in offices with fixed-desks, recording average readings 32 per cent lower than in the hot-desk office.

However, in a different scenario, the shared keyboards in hot-desk office returned better results, with an average microbiological reading six per cent lower than in the fixed-desk office.

Dr Peter Barratt, Initial Washroom Hygiene commented: “People might see a lot a clutter and mess on desks in an office where everyone has their own assigned desk, and be surprised to hear that hot-desking is less hygienic. But, a clutter free hot-desk environment should not lull workers into a false sense of security, as just because something looks clean does not actually mean that it is. Levels of residual bacteria naturally vary between people, and when you factor in ‘al-desko’ dining at lunch time, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that sharing a desk space, keyboards and mice with colleagues or complete strangers comes with a potentially increased hygiene risk.

“Hand hygiene is really the key to mitigating the risks when it comes to the spread of germs in all offices, and those in hot-desking offices may want to pay particular attention. Poor hand hygiene is the major cause for the spread of common office illnesses such as colds, flu and Norovirus. Businesses need to ensure they have the right facilities in place to promote good hand hygiene across the company. This includes good quality soap from dispensers, hand drying equipment and hand sanitiser stations.”

The study also asked workers in the hot-desk office whether they used anti-bacterial wipes provided by the employer to wipe down their desks or shared IT equipment each day. Less than half the employees (48 per cent) reported that they used these wipes to help minimise the hygiene risk.

Dr Peter Barratt, Initial Washroom Hygiene concluded: “While employers need to provide the right tools for good office hygiene, and offer advice and reminders on how and when to use them, employees also have a responsibility for their own personal hygiene. Using anti-bacterial wipes on shared desk surfaces and IT equipment is a simple step, but can pay huge dividends in terms of maintaining a healthy workforce in both hot-desking and fixed-desk offices – it can go so far as to reduce potential productivity loss from absenteeism.” 

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New Honey Blossom Eco Foaming Hand Wash from the Social Enterprise, CLARITY, is launched into large organisations and the government to support the employment of blind, disabled and otherwise disadvantaged people.

Developed in co-operation with the Cabinet Office and Interserve, the product and the fact that CLARITY now holds The Planet Mark, emphasises their endeavour to improve environmental credentials.

The hand wash, made with 100 per cent eco certified ingredients, is vegan, biodegradable and allergen, gluten and GMO free.  In addition, it is free from SLS, sulphates and parabens making it efficient and environmentally friendly for CLARITY’s customers. Care has gone into the selection of each and every ingredient.

The foaming hand wash uses just 20 per cent of the dosage compared to the liquid alternative so will last five times as long.  Studies¹ have found that foaming technology reduces the amount of water used by almost 10 per cent whilst increasing the likelihood that individuals will wash their hands; promoting good hand hygiene.

The hand wash has been developed as a Buy Social Corporate Challenge product, an initiative from Social Enterprise UK which Interserve is a partner of and the Cabinet Office supports. It aims to get businesses to spend £1 billion with social enterprises, such as CLARITY, by 2020. This hand wash makes it easy to switch your soap for social good.

Large corporations and Buy Social Corporate Challenge partners are planning to support the initiative by purchasing the hand wash, whilst several government departments are also set to switch to the new CLARITY range.

The hand wash is the first in CLARITY’s new environmentally friendly range – CLARITYeco. All the products in this range are being created with the environment at the forefront of the design process and will use natural, cruelty and paraben/SLS free ingredients.

Camilla Marcus-Dew, Head of Commercial at CLARITY said: “We are delighted to launch our new eco foaming hand wash with the support of our Buy Social Corporate Challenge partners. The result is an environmentally friendly product which will be loved by all employees, customers and visitors. It has secured employment for our staff, creating social value in many communities across the UK. We look forward to rolling it out to other Government departments and corporations.”

Richard Beattie, Director of Procurement at Interserve said: “At Interserve, we take our sustainability responsibilities very seriously – both from an environmental and social capital perspective. So, we are really pleased to be working with the CLARITY team to bring the first Buy Social Corporate Challenge product to market. This new product strengthens CLARITY’s offering by combining social impact and eco-friendly credentials – it’s a great product which I’m sure our clients will love.”

Peter Holbrook CBE, Chief Executive of Social Enterprise UK said: “This is a fantastic example of what’s possible when the public, private and social enterprise sectors collaborate to bring a commercial solution to market that will change the lives of disabled people. The Cabinet Office were a founding strategic partner of the Buy Social Corporate Challenge, so it’s great to see them “walking the walk” through buying from social enterprises themselves. We’d like to now see other government departments, as well as more businesses, follow in their footsteps.”

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The outbreak of Norovirus at the World Athletics Championships in London is the latest in a spate of reports of the ‘winter vomiting bug’ making an unseasonal appearance. Traditionally associated with the colder winter months, the highly infectious illness has reared its head this summer, causing disruption and absenteeism not just in the sporting world, but also in offices, schools and even hospitals.

Norovirus is one of the most common sickness bugs in the UK, affecting the UK population all year round. Each year, it is estimated that between 600,000 and 1 million people in the UK catch the vomiting virus, and according to Public Health England, 2016 saw 71% more patients struck down by Norovirus than in 2015.  The risk of catching highly-infectious illnesses like Norovirus persists, even in the summer months.

In every industry, ensuring the health and safety of staff, optimising employee output, and guaranteeing customer wellbeing can be achieved by providing a clean environment. Given the UK is performing poorly against its G7 competitors in terms of productivity and engagement, it’s vital for us to take the necessary steps to reduce employee absenteeism wherever possible.[1]

Say no to Norovirus
People often associate the spread of illness with direct contact. However, germs can easily spread from people through indirect contact with contaminated surfaces, such as shared objects. This could include computer keyboards, door handles and communal kitchen facilities. For example, an office computer mouse has been found to house thousands of microorganisms per square centimetre.[2]

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is just one of many institutions that recognise good hand hygiene as one of the easiest ways to limit the spread of germs and control cross-infection. Frequent handwashing can actually reduce the risk of illness by up to 50%, which can go a long way to bolstering staff health, wellbeing, morale and productivity.

Encouraging and practising good hand hygiene is a simple yet effective way for organisations to prevent outbreaks of illnesses like Norovirus. But how many of us are doing it right?  Here are our top handwashing tips:

1. Wet your hands using clean, running water – preferably warm water – and apply soap. If possible use a no-touch dispenser to avoid cross contamination.

2. Rub soap all over your hands. Take care to cover the front, back, fingers, thumbs and nails.

3. Rinse your hands again with clean running water. The entire handwashing process should take around 20-30 seconds – that’s about the time it takes to sing happy birthday twice!

4. Dry your hands thoroughly. Damp hands spread 1,000 times more bacteria than dry hands, so the door handle of the washroom is likely to become contaminated if hand drying is missed.^[3]

5. Sanitise your hands. Alcohol-free hand sanitisers should be available in office environments, as they provide an effective, long-lasting barrier to protect against microorganisms. Initial’s UltraProtect, for example, uses residual anti-microbial technology to kill 99.99% of germs.

Fighting grime through a cleaning regime
In addition to practising good hand hygiene, implementing an effective cleaning routine is a crucial element of combatting germs and grime.

There are two ways cleaning can be carried out in any facility: proactively and reactively. Proactive cleaning involves routine disinfection of shared contact points and communal areas. It goes without saying that surfaces in communal areas should regularly be cleaned, using anti-bacterial wipes and surface sanitisers where possible.

While routine cleaning is crucial, it alone will not prevent the build-up of dirt, dust and grease in hard-to-reach areas. These deposits can accumulate in your premises on surfaces such as walls, ceilings, lights and appliance fittings, and can provide the perfect environment for microbiological contamination. It is therefore recommended that bathroom and kitchen facilities in the workplace are deep cleaned twice a year, at the very least.

Reactive cleaning should occur as necessary, for example during or following the outbreak of an illness, or when someone carrying an infection has visited the premises. If employees, customers or visitors become ill, or report symptoms of illness, then a deep clean is always recommended. They should also stay away from work for 48 hours after their symptoms have ceased to prevent recontamination. As every premises requires a tailored solution, engaging a fully trained specialist cleaning supplier will ensure the right kind of deep clean is undertaken, to reduce the risk of re-infection.

Final thoughts

It’s beneficial to all parties – whether you’re a business owner, facilities manager or employee – to implement robust hygiene practices in the office. Promoting good hand hygiene, and guaranteeing that facilities are fully compliant with health and safety regulations, are essential components of limiting the spread of contagious diseases such as Norovirus.

Written by: Dr Peter Barratt, Technical Manager, Initial Washroom Hygiene and Luke Rutterford, Technical Manager, Rentokil Specialist Hygiene

[1] ONS, 2015

[2] Initial, 2016

[3] D. Patrick, G. Findon, & T. Miller, Residual moisture determines the level of touch-contact associated bacterial transfer following hand washing in Epidemiology & Infection, 119, (3), pp. 319-325 (1997)

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Petting farms are loved by both young and old alike and with spring on the horizon, animal attractions are preparing for an influx of visitors who are keen to get hands-on and learn more about their inhabitants. 

However, it’s important to remember that animals can sometimes carry harmful germs, which is why organisations must take steps to mitigate the risk of infection and protect the health of both visitors and employees. By adopting stringent cleaning and hygiene routines and providing appropriate washroom facilities, attractions can safeguard the health of both visitors and the workforce while avoiding any negative publicity.    

With the rise of social media and online reviews making word-of-mouth more powerful than ever, inadequate hygiene levels and poorly-maintained facilities can have a significant impact on an establishment’s reputation. By ensuring standards are maintained, attractions can enhance customer experience and avoid damaging their flow of repeat business.  

While visits to animal-based attractions can never be considered risk-free, there are some guaranteed approaches that organisations can take to ensure that health and hygiene are at the forefront of both employees’ and visitors’ minds.  

 The first line of attack when it comes to ensuring optimum hygiene levels is the education of staff and visitors, through clear signage. Due to the large number of children visiting sites such as petting farms, signage should aim to be eye catching with a strong pictorial element. Additionally, while many aspects of personal hygiene may appear obvious, the excitement of visiting such attractions can mean that visitors forget to pay attention to tasks such as handwashing. For this reason, placing regular reminders around attractions is essential, but especially in key risk areas such as washrooms, eating areas and animal handling areas. 

Beyond signage, it is vital that attractions have products such as soaps and sanitisers available and visible for all to use. Hand hygiene is crucial in preventing and controlling the spread of bacteria and should be a particular priority while around farm animals. There is no point in encouraging visitors to maintain good hand hygiene if there are no products available for them to do so. Whether this be hand sanitiser dispensers placed in key locations around attractions or soap provided at every sink in the washroom facilities, visitors should be encouraged at every opportunity to wash their hands. 

While organisations should be mindful of the placement of chemicals around animals, most hand products are believed to be safe when used correctly, meaning that there is no excuse for both visitors and employees to not be regularly washing their hands. Organisations should also encourage staff to create a strong hygiene culture, whether that be through the workforce being seen to wash their hands regularly or by keeping pocket-sized hand sanitisers on their person at all times. 

The specific type of product on offer should also be carefully chosen to encourage regular use. While reputable hand sanitiser liquids are believed to be effective in most situations, alcohol-based sanitisers can be harsh on skin and may therefore result in lower take-up. With this in mind, attractions must ensure that adequate facilities are also available to cater for those who prefer to use soap and water.  

In order to encourage good hand hygiene, attractions should endeavour to provide good quality, moisturising soaps and sanitisers, which are user-friendly and kind to skin. However, it is important to remember that there is no one size fits all solution and the specific needs of the attraction should be considered before purchase.  

Attractive dispensers have been found to encourage visitors to use the facilities on offer, with many organisations choosing to incorporate branding onto dispensers or choose colourful designs to attract their visitors’ attention, thus encouraging good hand hygiene. Washroom design can also have a significant impact on children’s decision to use the facilities on offer. Providing appropriate hand washing facilities for children by either placing a stool by the sink or lowering basins can mean that the room is made more accessible.   

With most attractions also providing food outlets, separate spaces away from animals should be available. Furthermore, cafes and restaurants should aim to provide washrooms on entry to eating areas to encourage a good level of hygiene. Areas that are frequently touched such as door handles and tables should also be frequently cleaned using good quality cleaning products.    

Attractions should be prepared for excessively busy times and have contingency stock to ensure that both visitors and employees alike are protected against infection. Regularly reviewing stock levels and identifying peak times for usage, for example the Easter holidays, will ensure that there are no gaps in product availability. Good suppliers should also recommend alternative products and provide additional information on the best options to support thorough levels of hygiene. Knowing that the hygiene products on offer are good quality and fit for purpose will give attractions confidence in their efforts to safeguard the health of both employees and visitors and encourage repeat business throughout the busy spring/summer season.  

Written by: George Hand, Sales Manager for cleaning, hygiene and catering at business solutions provider Office Depot. 

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DebMed, the Healthcare division of Deb, has joined forces with the Private Organisations for Patient Safety (POPS) to support the World Health Organisation’s annual hand hygiene campaign – SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands.

Each year, the SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign aims to progress the goal of maintaining a global profile on the importance of hand hygiene in Healthcare, and to bring people together in support of hand hygiene improvement.

With World Hand Hygiene Day landing on Saturday 5^th May, DebMed will be promoting the messaging in the week leading up to, and after the official day, with a focus on ‘Preventing sepsis in Healthcare’.

Reported to affect more than 30 million people worldwide every year, sepsis is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs.

Depending on the infection, sepsis can affect any organ, resulting in a variety of symptoms including low blood pressure, breathlessness, slurred speech and much more.

Sepsis is responsible for 44,000 deaths each year in the UK alone, yet despite this, a recent survey found that 44 per cent of people in the UK have never heard of sepsis and have little idea that it is a life-threatening emergency.[1]

To increase awareness of sepsis and ensure Healthcare workers are aware of the vital steps needed to prevent the spread of infection, DebMed will be supporting NHS Trusts by providing advice, free downloadable resources, a hand hygiene guide and much more.

DebMed will also be raising awareness of the WHO 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene, which recommends the key moments that Healthcare workers should clean their hands.

Paul Jakeway, Marketing Director at Deb Group, said: “Each year, Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) affect millions of patients across the globe. This annual campaign truly raises awareness of the issues that Trusts face day in and day out but more importantly, what actions hospitals need to take to tackle this issue.

“We’re delighted to be showing our support to WHO and raising awareness of hand hygiene to highlight just how imperative an effective hand hygiene routine is to reduce the risk of sepsis.”

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To support World Hand Hygiene Day on May 5, Kimberly-Clark Professional is sharing Five Ways to improve hand hygiene standards within a healthcare environment, in recognition of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) call to action for better hand hygiene to control infections.

For the tenth year in a row, World Hand Hygiene Day is a cornerstone of the WHO’s campaign to galvanise action at the point of care and improve patient safety. This year’s theme is focused on preventing sepsis in healthcare. Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening infection. It kills 44,000 people in the UK and costs the national economy almost £16 billion each year.

While the risks of sepsis are real, there are simple steps that can be taken to help avoid infection. Kimberly-Clark Professional is sharing these Five Ways to ensure hand hygiene and help healthcare facilities make the most of World Hand Hygiene Day and support the call to prevent sepsis.

World Hand Hygiene Day is part of the WHO’s drive to reduce the instances of healthcare associated infections (HAIs). The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence estimates that 300,000 patients a year in England acquire avoidable HAIs. Across Europe an estimated 25,000 people die annually from HAIs⁴ and treating HAIs costs the continent a combined seven billion Euros each year.

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Hand hygiene and infection prevention is now a top priority on the Government’s agenda, after a recent Westminster debate addressed the key infection prevention issues within Healthcare settings.

The debate addressed the use of electronic monitoring systems to measure hand hygiene compliance and reduce infection rates.

All parties present addressed the flaws of direct observation and the impact that capturing inaccurate hand hygiene data has on patients and the NHS. It also focused on how technology can improve hand hygiene compliance and what actions need to be taken to reduce costs and increase patient safety within the NHS.

Andrea Jenkyns, MP for Morley and Outwood, played a key role in the debate as she continues to actively campaign to improve hand hygiene ever since losing her dad to an MRSA in 2011.

She stated: “It is important that this debate draws attention to the fact that the current system of hand hygiene monitoring in hospitals needs updating and is inaccurate and outdated. There are better monitoring systems out there. The current system allows poor hand hygiene practice to spread and can put patients’ lives at risk.”

MPs Jim Shannon and Nigel Mills, and Shadow Minister for Health and Social Care, Justin Madders, recognised the need for a change in the way that hand hygiene is measured.

Madders, said: “Staff naturally wash their hands much more frequently when being observed directly, which results in clearly overstated compliance rates of 90 to 100 per cent. Academic research has found that typical compliance is actually between 18 and 40 per cent.”

Steven Barclay, Minister of State for the Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged the potential of electronic monitoring to reduce infection rates and save money.

He commented: “One theme of the debate was whether the Government are doing enough to drive forward the use of technology. I recognise the limits of direct observation and how behavioural change may respond to those. That is why the Government are actively looking at the extent to which technology can facilitate this area.”

As a result of the debate, there emerged a clear consensus from all sides of the house that hand hygiene is an important issue, direct observation is not an appropriate means of monitoring hand hygiene compliance, whilst technology offers a clear way of improving compliance and reducing infections.

John Hines, Director of Research and Development at Deb, said: “The debate proved a huge success and it was great to see MPs and Health Ministers joining forces to ensure infection prevention remains high on the Government’s list of priorities.

“Technology, if adopted in the right way, creates an opportunity to improve patient safety and reduce the £1 billion cost associated with healthcare associated infections. Now it’s time to take further action by working closely with the Government to ensure more hospitals are aware of the benefits of electronic monitoring systems. We want to see such systems replacing direct observation audits, freeing nurses time and paving the way for a safer NHS.”

For more information about the Westminster debate on ‘Raising standards of infection prevention and control in the NHS’, visit: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2018-05-15/debates/395F355A-2F8A-4175-8408-D9AB8B2AA67C/InfectionPreventionAndControl

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For anyone working to provide cleaning services within a healthcare environment, it goes without saying hand hygiene should be top of mind.

The truth is up to 80 per cent of infections are transmitted by hands; as soon as you touch a door, you risk becoming contaminated from the people who have used the door recently. Breaking this cycle is pivotal in terms of infection control as washing your hands only provides you with a certain amount of protection if you then touch a contaminated door.

It’s vital to ensure there are plenty of gel dispensers in toilet areas and in places where food is served or prepared such as canteens and kitchens.  Make sure you have soap available at any sinks and facilitate an easy way to dry hands, such as disposable towels or a hand dryer. Communal towels aren’t hygienic and could put some people off from washing their hands.

Research shows only one in three people clean their hands after they sneeze or cough into them. By providing cleaning staff with tissues, and having them placed within easy access in the healthcare facility, there’s more chance people will use these to catch germs instead of their hands.

Holding workshops or seminars for your cleaning staff on the benefits of optimising hand hygiene will work wonders as the reality is, shaming people into compliance is a powerful tool. No one will want to admit to being in the group of people (according to some studies, 95%) who don’t wash their hands after going to the toilet.  Then you can sit back and watch compliance improve as people do all they can to avoid falling into the wrong group.

Measuring compliance is a powerful incentive for staff as they will understand the link to improved hand hygiene, so inform your cleaning staff members that you’re monitoring soap consumption and/or gel usage. Indeed, according to the World Health Organisation, monitoring hand hygiene compliance is of crucial importance to help give you feedback regarding defective practices and even provide data for any outbreaks. Some innovative electronic systems exist which provide the automatic monitoring of hand hygiene compliance and collect data very effectively.

Boosting awareness of hand hygiene, promoting hand washing and the use of hand gels in a healthcare environment are all powerful factors in improving compliance. But it could be time to look at introducing other technical measures to compliment these practices. Disruptive and game-changing products are being manufactured that could provide a key weapon in the battle against the spread of infection; whether it’s flu or other healthcare microbes such as MRSA.

Surfaceskins manufactures special push pad products available, which replace aluminium door plates – these secrete a tiny amount of anti-bacterial gel when touched to go through the door. The anti-bacterial gel kills any bacteria that you may have deposited on a standard doors and kills any bacteria that you may have picked up form a standard door. We’re also looking at manufacturing door handles injected with the same gel could also provide an effective solution.

A scientific paper on the efficacy of Surfaceskins, was published in the Journal of Hospital Infection last year. Scientists challenged both Surfaceskins and normal aluminium door plates with hands that were contaminated with bacteria at the levels seen in hospital staff. Over a seven day period, the study concluded that Surfaceskins door pads were far more effective than standard door plates in reducing the levels of bacteria. In fact, the study showed Surfaceskins reduced bacteria levels by more than 90 per cent even after six days’ use.

It’s important to note that these door pads are by no means a replacement for handwashing. Rather, they are designed to provide an extra line of defence by helping hands remain clean after being washed thoroughly with soap, or using hand gel. Surfaceskins help break the contamination chain because instead of people washing their hands and then pushing a contaminated door, they are putting their hand onto a disinfected surface instead.

So by boosting hand washing practices and introducing technical hygiene-focused measures to your healthcare facility, you’ll be going a long way towards boosting overall hand hygiene and cutting infection rates dramatically.

By Brian Walifora, CEO at Surfaceskins

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Hand hygiene and skin care specialist, Deb, will be showcasing its hand hygiene innovation at this year’s Infection Prevention Society (IPS) annual conference, the largest infection prevention and control exhibition in the UK.

Taking place from Sunday 30th September to Tuesday 2nd October at the Scottish Event Campus Centre, Glasgow, Deb will be exhibiting on stand number 140 and will be introducing its DebMed Programme to visitors, a unique, integrated hand hygiene compliance and skin care programme that is customised to each Healthcare environment.

Visitors will have the chance to find out more about the programme, which incorporates Deb’s GMS system to electronically monitor soap and sanitiser dispensers and capture hand hygiene events, providing real-time data based on the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) 5-Moments of Hand Hygiene standard.

Paul Jakeway, Marketing Director at Deb, said: “The IPS conference presents an ideal opportunity to highlight the current industry challenges, our solution to effectively capture hand hygiene events, and speak to visitors about how their hand hygiene provision could look.

“We have recently submitted evidence to Parliament outlining the need for improvement when it comes to antimicrobial resistance and the role that hand hygiene can play. We’re looking forward to sharing our plans with visitors and the steps that Deb is taking to ensure electronic monitoring systems are implemented in Healthcare settings.”  

During the IPS conference, Dr John Hines, Research and Development Director at Deb will be hosting a seminar on the future of hand hygiene in the digital age. The team will also be giving out samples and goody bags to visitors to the stand.

www.debgroup.com

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Hand washing does not only protect us against disease – it can also bring happiness, wellbeing and business gains.

This emerged in a new study commissioned by Tork manufacturer Essity in the run-up to Global Handwashing Day on October 15.

The study, which polled more than 3,000 people in six countries, revealed that 40 per cent of full-time employees wanted hand hygiene to have a higher priority at work. Around 30 per cent claimed their job satisfaction would be greater if they knew that all their colleagues were washing their hands properly.

The findings also showed how hand washing could help to boost restaurant trade, with 50 per cent of respondents claiming they would be more willing to return to a restaurant where the staff had clear hand washing routines in place.

And 80 per cent said that knowing people around them were washing their hands properly would have a positive impact on their state of mind, while one in five said this knowledge would actually make them happier.

“Most people today understand the health benefits of hand washing with soap,” said Carolyn Moore, Secretariat Director of the Global Handwashing Partnership. “However, the impact of hand washing goes far beyond health. Global Handwashing Day is an important occasion to make sure we are all washing our hands with soap at critical times and encouraging others to do likewise.”

The Essity study also revealed that clean hands can make us more comfortable when touching and interacting with others. Almost half the respondents said they would be more comfortable shaking hands with people they knew to be practicing proper hand hygiene.

And around three in 10 said they would be more comfortable touching strangers who had cleaned their hands, while 20 per cent this would make them more comfortable when hugging others or helping someone in need.

“Our hands have the power to improve our loved ones’ well-being and washing one’s hands has far-reaching implications on the people around us,” said Essity’s Stuart Hands. “That’s something we should all embrace every day – and not only on Global Handwashing Day.”

Other findings of the study were that 80 per cent of respondents washed their hands to protect themselves, while only 10 per cent did so to protect other people. However, around a quarter of those questioned said they would wash their hands more often if they knew it had a positive impact on others.

Essity is an official sponsor of Global Handwashing Day 2018. Organised by the Global Handwashing Partnership, the event aims to increase awareness and understanding of the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives.

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Monday 15^th October 2018 is Global Handwashing Day; a worldwide advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of hand hygiene, and particularly handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases. Hand and surface hygiene specialist, GOJO Industries-Europe, strongly encourages best practice in hand hygiene, and applauds educative and awareness raising efforts to help influence behaviour change.

This year, the theme focuses on the links between handwashing and food – including food hygiene. Handwashing is an important part of keeping food safe and preventing contamination in catering workplaces. The tagline, ‘Clean hands – a recipe for health’, acts as a reminder to make handwashing a part of every meal. It is especially important for those working in the catering, leisure, and hospitality industries – or any workplace where there is food preparation – to practise good hand hygiene.

Chris Wakefield, Vice President, European Marketing & Product Development, GOJO Industries-Europe Ltd commented: “GOJO is a strong advocate of making hand hygiene second nature to everyone, particularly in food preparation settings. We remain committed to raising the awareness of hand hygiene, and are calling on everyone to help spread the vital message about how hand hygiene can help prevent contamination and diseases this Global Handwashing Day.”

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This year Global Handwashing Day takes place on 15 October and Kimberly-Clark Professional is embracing the annual event’s theme ‘Clean Hands – a recipe for health’ by supporting Facilities Managers with a range of tools to help them champion hand hygiene, health and wellbeing in the workplace in relation to snacking and eating.

“With Global Handwashing Day 2018 linking hand hygiene and food hygiene, we wanted to focus on how employees often eat at their desks or in meetings, using their hands and fingers.” says Caroline Stanley, UK Head of Marketing at Kimberly-Clark Professional. “With increased ‘hot-desking’ and shared meeting spaces, proper hand washing and drying before and after food becomes even more important to help prevent the spread of nasty bacteria and illnesses.”

Kimberly-Clark Professional has created a special Scott Clean toolkit for Global Handwashing Day which will provide FMs with everything they need to engage their guests and employees on 15 October to enhance hand hygiene and maximise infection prevention.

The Scott Clean toolkit includes hand hygiene posters and washroom mirror stickers to display in and around the workplace. Plus, to encourage maximum employee participation on the day itself, there are healthy snacks and hand hygiene postcards to hand out, plus a selfie photo frame and Global Handwashing Day themed novelties. There’s also a Scott Clean eToolkit available for FMs who want to spread the word via their company’s online channels like email, social media, website, intranet and digital signage.

Stanley continues: “We’ve designed the Scott Clean toolkit to help Facilities Managers and employers show they really care for their guests and employees by promoting Scott single use paper hand towels and foam hand cleansers in the washroom as an essential step before every meal or snack. We want this initiative to celebrate Facilities Managers for choosing Scott and to positively impact employee health and wellbeing in the workplace.

Free Scott Clean Global Handwashing Day toolkits may be obtained by visiting https://www.kcprofessional.co.uk/ghd2018.

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British offices and their workers are busier than ever. According to research from Initial Washroom Hygiene, almost half (43%) of office workers say the total number of staff in their office has increased; leading to a shortage of workspace (60%), fewer available car parking spaces (52%), and busier washroom facilities (34%).[1] Additionally, half of British workers say they’re too busy with work commitments to use their holiday entitlement; which is no doubt partly to blame for the third of UK workers who say they’re experiencing anxiety, depression or stress.

As offices become more crowded, it appears that some workers are seeking solace in the washroom. A third of people admit to using their office washroom as place to escape work because they don’t have enough breakout space elsewhere. Another third said they sometimes visit the washroom to get away from their desk but didn’t use the toilet while they were there, and almost two in five (39%) said the office washroom is a good place to seek peace and quiet.

Creating a stress-free environment
If more people are using washrooms and staying in them for longer periods, employers and facilities managers need to ensure their cleaning regime is increased appropriately to reflect this. Officer managers will need to give some thought to how to create a pleasant and stress-free environment which doesn’t further exacerbate the strain employees are under.

Here are five tips for facilities managers looking to create the perfect “rest” room:

1. Increase regular cleaning
With workplace bathrooms becoming busier, it’s more important than ever to focus on regular hygiene procedures. A higher concentration of people moving in and out of washroom areas can increase the levels of bacteria and therefore the risk of germs being passed from person to person, so increasing the regularity of cleaning procedures is a must. Clearly documented cleaning schedules are also vital.

2. Educate and equip employees for good hand hygiene
Washing hands thoroughly after using the toilet significantly helps prevent the spread of germs, bacteria and illness amongst patrons. Equipping washrooms with enough sinks, soap dispensers and hand drying options will help to encourage each visitor to wash and dry their hands before returning to their workstation. Bacteria and germs can spread easily within an enclosed space such as a washroom, so installing no-touch automatic dispensers can also help to reduce the spread of germs by limiting the amount of touch points.

3. Consider air purifiers
In a survey by Initial Washroom Hygiene, 73% of those surveyed said that an unpleasant smell in the washroom would negatively affect their perception of a venue, so scenting is another area that is worth considering. You may want to consider installing air fresheners that automatically dispense fragrance to help neutralise odours and create a pleasant-smelling environment. Scenting products and services are available that can help to control and minimise odours that come from malodour-producing bacteria. An air purifier can also help to eradicate any airborne bacteria and viruses including the flu virus, E. coli, salmonella, streptococcus and rhinovirus.

4. Ensure adequate waste disposal
Initial Washroom Hygiene found that 54% of women in the UK have experienced a situation where the washroom did not have a personal female hygiene unit. Even if your washroom lacks space, you should provide female users with sanitary bins in each cubicle. Doing so means you are offering a safe, discreet and hygienic washroom experience. Not doing so could increase the risk of germs being spread and can result in women flushing their products down the toilet, potentially leading to costly blockages in plumbing.

5. Provide a desk-based line of defence
With one in four office workers saying they don’t wash their hands after going to the bathroom, having hand hygiene processes in place in other areas outside of the washroom is a good idea. Office desk phones, keyboards and mice are all shown to harbour infectious levels of microbes. This figure rises dramatically for shared equipment on ‘hot desks’; which are becoming increasingly popular as companies try to reduce overheads. Simple steps like loading up desk spaces with antibacterial wipes and hand sanitising gels can all generate a marked improvement in hygiene practices amongst employees.

With office space effectively shrinking as offices become busier, and the pace of work stress levels continuing to rise, we’re likely to see even more people seeking solace in their workplace washroom. Of course, this is an issue for organisations to tackle with their HR and employee experience teams. But in the meantime, facilities managers need to ensure that they are re-thinking their hygiene processes and practices to cope with demand. If you can’t prevent employees from needing some peace and quiet, then you can at least ensure they have clean and hygienic “rest” room in which to catch it.

Written by Jamie Woodhall, UK Technical & Innovation Manager, Initial Washroom Hygiene

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