Hand Hygiene

Washing our hands with soap and water is part of our daily routine and we are told how to do it from a young age. However, people are rarely taught how to do it using the proper technique. Although it is a simple act that we should do automatically after certain activities, e.g. Going to the toilet, touching raw meat, using public transport etc., it is extraordinary to learn that a vast number of people are not washing their hands correctly. Subsequently, this puts you and those around you at a greater risk of becoming sick; be it at home, in the office or when travelling.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), our hands are the main pathways of germ transmissions. In consideration of how many times adults touch their face per hour (15.5 times according to Dr Charles Gerba, a microbiology professor at the University of Arizona), keeping our hands clean is one of the most effective ways to help reduce the spread of infections and to avoid getting sick. As a result, washing our hands regularly and knowing how to wash our hands using the correct technique is imperative to our health and well-being.

 

WHO 6 Step Technique:

1. Rub your hands palm to palm
2. Rub the backs of both hands
3. Rub palm to palm with fingers interlaced
4. Rub backs of fingers (fingers interlocked)
5. Rub both fingertips
6. Rub both thumbs

By following the WHO hand hygiene technique, we ensure that all parts of our hands are cleaned thoroughly. Although this technique is primarily used in the healthcare setting, by implementing it into our daily hand washing routine, we are protecting ourselves from multiple illnesses.

 

According to the Health Service Executive (HSE), washing your hands can help you avoid:

• Colds and flu
• Stomach bugs that cause diarrhoea, such as norovirus
• Eye infections such as conjunctivitis/pink eye
• Superbugs such as MRSA and VRE
• Hepatitis A
• Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease

 

SureWash

We are a hand hygiene training company teaching the WHO technique in a fun and engaging manner. Above all, we aim to improve hand hygiene compliance and reduce the risk of infections by helping you acquire the skill of how to wash your hands.

In order to learn how to wash your hands correctly and to help avoid getting sick in 2020, visit our SureWash Products page to find out which product is best suited for your needs.