Meet the stars

For some time Connect has been picking up on the comments from customers and distributors that size really does matter! As part of an on-going commitment to listening and understanding changes in the market place, the team at Connect looked at the motivation behind these comments and to see what could they do to help. It was soon apparent that pressures on available wall space in washrooms were coming not just from designers wanting ever more mirrors and style statements, but from commercial aspirations too!

They quickly realised that the available washroom wall space was not always just down to the physical size of the facility. There is competition for it out there! The opportunity to generate revenue streams from vending machines and advertising sites as well as the need to provide health and safety signage can make even well proportioned washrooms appear to be a crowded area.

So recognising that wall space can be at a premium in some washrooms, the Leonardo range of dispensers has now been complemented by the launch of three new compact dispensers.

The three new stars are the Mini 'M' Fold hand towel dispenser, the Mini Lever roll towel dispenser and the hugely successful Versatwin toilet tissue dispenser and all are designed to help alleviate that problem and give much greater flexibility to the washroom wall layout. With the same aesthetically pleasing Leonardo design and incorporating the same key features of easy maintenance and efficient cost in use performance, this range of compact dispensing solutions is an ideal economical and hygienic solution when wall space is limited. It also means that dependent upon the need and the nature of the usage, more dispensers than previously can be installed to cope with suddenly surges of use. This results in less queuing and much lower risks of the spread of infection. And with up to 360m capacity on the Versatwin, 200m on the Mini Lever Roll Towel and with 500 sheets of self-presenting hand towels, it is only the dispenser's footprint that is compact, not the range capabilities! Alternatively, with the space freed up by these smaller dispensers,washroom operators will now have the opportunity to make their 'away from home' facility even more hygienic by displaying Connect Hygiene's free washroom poster. Available on request with all new Leonardo dispensers during the remainder of 2011, the posters reflect the findings of Connect's own independent research carried out at the beginning if the year.With £2.6 billion lost to industry each year through staff illness, any reduction in that huge figure is going to represent a significant contribution to any business's bottom line. The research showed that only 57% of employees thought that hand drying was important in reducing the spread of infection, as opposed to 93% who thought hand washing was important. When the contribution that hand drying actually makes was explained, 45% said they would like more information. Connect decided that they would take some necessary steps to meet that request as it was also found that there was a reluctance amongst some managers to tell their staff to dry their hand properly. The view was summarised by one comment which suggested that it was patronising to tell someone to dry their hands well,"after all,we are all adults aren't we".

Well yes we are and there is indeed such a risk, but the prize of making substantial savings on this huge, almost hidden cost, is surely one worth winning. Connect researched what type of message was likely to encourage washroom users to dry their hands properly and found that far from commands of the "Now wash your hands" variety, explanation and an invitation to comply worked best amongst men and women across the age ranges.

These gained insights formed the criteria for the message shown on the new posters.

Hand hygiene continues to be at the forefront of infection control and the importance of hand drying with a disposable paper towel remains the very best way to achieve the highest levels of hygiene in the away from home sector. It sometimes seems its very simplicity causes it to be undervalued, but evidence continually confirms that in spite of new hand drying alternatives appearing on the market, it remains the preferred option for all of those for whom hygiene is the very highest priority. As well as providing the appropriate dispensers, helping educating staff as to the benefits of thorough hand drying, Connect are also working with both distributors and end users to develop new, cost-effective tissue solutions that help reduce the incidence of staff illness.Given that a much quoted figure of only 50% of people in hygiene critical situations comply with recommended hand drying procedures, the task is not an easy one, but at least now, with these three new stars, there is not an excuse that the dispensers are too big!