Good hand hygiene is much more than a wash
August 1st 2004

Jaana Tiura, product group manager at Mets Tissue reveals why good hand hygiene is essential in preventing cross-contamination and foodborne illnesses

It is a little known fact that most people wash their hands in the wrong way; a proper hand wash is a skill in itself. For optimum results in hand-washing, we need to use the correct basic washing technique. Start by rinsing hands in lukewarm water. After this, use liquid soap to wash carefully, including the wrists, fingertips and thumbs. After the wash, rinse hands in running water and dry them with a paper towel. Finally, turn off the tap using a paper towel. A careful and thorough hand wash need not take too long.

Instructions for correct basic hand-washing technique should be placed prominently and near to the washing stations at food preparation areas. They should present a simple step-by-step procedure directing washing from general areas like the palms to easy-to-miss parts such as fingertips and nail folds. Good diagrams will say more than a thousand words. Training should be given to staff to ensure everyone has full understanding of the importance of proper hand-washing in food preparation areas. Every step should be explained and discussed in detail.

In addition, good cleaning facilities in food preparation areas help to encourage staff to wash their hand frequently. Hand-washing stations should be easily accessible and good quality paper should be available for people to dry their hands. A checklist should be put near every hand-washing station for staff to record the number of times they wash their hands. It should be monitored on a regular basis and figures analysed every month to ensure hygiene standards are maintained.

Eliminating hand contact is one of the most important issues in food preparation areas. It is therefore essential to ensure that clean hands are not contaminated by hygiene facilities, such as hand-towel dispensers. It is important to avoid hand contact with hand-towel dispensers. Quality hand-towel dispensers are so well designed that there is no need to touch the dispensers when taking a sheet.

According to a study conducted by Mets Tissue and Finlands State Technical Research Centre, the number of aerobic bacteria around the mouth of a dispenser can increase as much as 20-fold in two weeks following the beginning of a test. Nothing could highlight better how important it is that users only touch the towel they are about to use and not the dispenser, in order to keep their hands free from germs.

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