Different environments, same challenges

AUTUMN MARKS the start of the dreaded cold and flu season. The beginning of a new school term often results in germs being transferred between students, teachers, and their families, whilst healthcare facilities gear up for the rise in illnesses that they will inevitably face over the coming few months.

At this time, our thoughts turn to how we can boost our health to avoid picking up bugs or viruses, such as arranging a flu vaccination or stocking up on health supplements to boost our immunity. What is often forgotten about is the simple act of hand hygiene. 

It is widely understood that keeping our hands clean is one of the most effective infection prevention strategies, yet compliance can be problematic. What’s more, various settings have specific requirements. For example, a mechanic dealing with grease and other tough soils will need a very different solution to that of a nurse or a chef. However, the challenges to hand hygiene are similar, regardless of the industry in which people work.

Occupational skin health 

Skin sensitivity or irritation is one of the most common barriers to hand hygiene. Indeed, data from the National Health Service (NHS) in England on long-term sickness rates, shows skin issues account for just over 12,000 days of sick leave per month (1%). Another survey on this topic by The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), found that 93 percent of clinicians have had at least one skin issue in the last 12 months too. 

It's not just the healthcare sector which faces significant impact. According to the Health & Safety Executive, painters and decorators, carpenters and joiners, and those in the construction and building trades suffer from more than twice the ‘all industry’ rate of contact dermatitis.

These statistics are perhaps unsurprising, when you consider the frequency with which healthcare staff must clean their hands, or the punishment that the hands of heavy workers regularly take from little nicks, scratches and contact with a variety of harmful substances. 

Whatever the setting, occupational dermatitis is a serious problem. It is more than mild discomfort. Hands may start to itch, become dry, sore, and red, and develop small blisters, painful cracks (fissures) and erosions (broken skin). This can cause productivity to fall, with employees working at a slower rate, or through their absence.

Not only painful, it can even increase the risk for transfer of infections since damaged skin is more susceptible to colonisation by transient micro-organisms. This is particularly concerning in healthcare settings, which house vulnerable patients.

Additionally, people with damaged skin are more likely to abandon handwashing practice altogether, concerned that hospital grade soaps and sanitisers or harsh hand cleaners will aggravate their condition. This, in turn, can lead to widespread illness across the workforce, once again, causing productivity levels to fall.

Formulation matters

Product selection is, therefore, key. Solutions should not compound the problem, but instead, should be protective of skin health and offer a positive user experience. Additionally, the formulations must be a pleasure to use – not too smelly, sticky, or runny! Otherwise, the risk of staff, customers, and other users avoiding or abandoning the practice altogether increases once again. Above all, the soaps or sanitisers selected must be effective and meet the required standards for the specific setting for which they are intended.

In healthcare, they must comply with key hospital norms EN 1500, EN 14476 and EN 12791, whilst for food environments, solutions must also have passed international food taint testing standard EN 4120. In schools and nurseries, soaps can come in gel or foam format, with or without fragrance – but the formulations must be both effective against germs, as well as gentle to children’s delicate skin. For example, GOJO^® foam soaps have a soft feel that kids love – and that also encourages use. Short contact times are also beneficial for these settings because many people do not spend very long cleaning their hands. 

When it comes to the tough soils that workers in heavier industries face, sanitising gel and regular soap and water just aren’t up to the job – specialist hand cleaners are required. The latest products shun excessive chemicals and, instead, use plant-based scrubbers to remove medium and heavy-duty soils, such as grease, carbon black, caulk, graphite, adhesive, paint, sealant, and tar, gently and with minimum fuss. Purchasers should look for products that are hypoallergenic, pH neutral and enriched with moisturising agents to maintain skin health.

A good quality hand cream is the perfect finish to the handwashing process, rehydrating and replenishing oils in the skin. This helps to reduce the risk of skin shedding, which can cause additional irritation.

In all settings, if people enjoy using the products, they will be more likely to use them consistently, which in turn, protects them and prevents infection from spreading. A poor experience, on the other hand, will result in the opposite being true.

‘Too busy’

‘Not having enough time’ to practise hand hygiene is a reason often cited for non-compliance, especially in busy settings like hospitals. According to research we undertook with healthcare trusts, overburdened and stressed staff said that they felt as if they didn’t have time to clean their hands as often as they should. This is likely to be reflected in other settings, like care homes or busy commercial kitchens and restaurants.

Whilst we cannot influence recruitment and workloads, supplying antimicrobial hand hygiene solutions in small form versions, such as personal bottles of PURELL Advanced Hygienic Hand Rub, can help. This enables busy workers to sanitise ‘on the go.’

Close at hand

Accessibility is a major factor when influencing healthy behaviour. Opportunities to practise hand hygiene must be available when and where you need them. For example, in hospitals and healthcare settings, hand hygiene stations should be located as close as possible, within arm’s reach of where patient care or treatment is taking place, without having to leave the area. 

In other environments, such as leisure, retail and catering establishments, ensure dispensers are positioned at the entrances and exits to buildings – and any other high traffic areas, such as reception foyers. In workshops or trade environments, make sure there are opportunities to clean hands in production and maintenance areas. The sheer physical presence of having dispensers in the right places can help prompt hygienic behaviour. 

When it comes to washrooms – in all settings regardless of industry – offering one final chance to clean hands can make all the difference in reducing the number of germs leaving the room, whilst also offering an additional layer of protection. If people have not washed their hands properly, bacteria and viruses can be spread onto the door handle and other surfaces that they touch when they leave the room. After all, research indicates that as many as one-in-four people do not wash their hands after using the toilet, and that one single contaminated door handle can infect up to 60% of the occupants of a building within just four hours. 

Positioning a sanitising dispenser between 36" to 46" above the floor, on the handle side of the washroom exit, is the optimum height to trigger proper hand hygiene behaviour and prevent the transmission of bacteria from door handles.

It sounds obvious, but another frustratingly common barrier is when dispensers are broken or need replenishing. In these scenarios, it is physically impossible to wash or sanitise hands. So regular maintenance and monitoring is essential to ensure equipment is in good working order and does not run empty.

For longevity, opt for a durable and reliable dispenser suitable for its environment. For example, robust, sturdy and corrosion-resistant dispensers are ideal for trade settings, whilst in other sectors, like education or leisure, touch-free dispensers are popular. Intuitively sensing the presence of hands, they dispense just the right amount of product every time, helping to minimise mess and wastage. The fact that they are touch-free also increases their hygiene rating and encourages use from those reluctant to touch public surfaces.

Prompt hygienic behaviour

There is much value in actively promoting and reminding staff, customers, and visitors to use the hand hygiene facilities available within a building. Placing awareness-raising and educative posters and signage in washrooms and at germ hotspots not only prompts people to act, but also refreshes their memory with the best techniques. 

The simple act of hand hygiene has so much power to protect our health, and that of our wider communities. However, it is only effective if everybody in a facility practises it. That is why it is so important to implement a hand hygiene system that encourages compliance and addresses the most common barriers. 

So take a look at the hand hygiene systems your organisation has in place. Do the formulations offer a pleasant experience or are hands left feeling dry and tight? Are there opportunities to clean hands when you need them? Having the right products, in the right places, at the right time will go a long way in increasing adherence.

Chris Wakefield is V.P. European marketing and managing director UK & Ireland at GOJO Industries-Europe.

For more information visit https://www.gojo.eu/uk