Give a hand to better infection control
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 18th April 2022
It goes without saying that an effective hand hygiene routine in practice is one of the most effective ways to help prevent the spread of disease. All it takes is one individual with contaminated hands to touch a surface such as a door handle for this action to potentially put others at risk, so ensuring hands are clean and pathogen-free is vital.
Since the start of the pandemic, one of the main messages from global bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) has been a call for better hand hygiene in healthcare environments in order to prevent the spread of infection. While this guidance was mostly aimed towards countries where stringent guidelines were not in place or where healthcare professionals were heavily outnumbered by the volume of patients they were treating, it did reveal that even in countries like the UK, proper handwashing and hand hygiene protocols weren’t always exemplary.[i]
So, when it comes to hand hygiene, what steps can you take to ensure that your practice is as protected as possible?
Hand hygiene and the general population
Effective handwashing and the use of hand sanitisers help protect against a number of diseases. These not only include common illnesses such as colds and Norovirus, but also viruses that pose a more significant threat such as Influenza and Coronavirus.[ii] However, there are still many people who do not wash their hands as recommended, even in public spaces.[iii]
What we also need to remember here is that the reality is likely to be way worse than the statistics suggest. Most people will not openly admit when they are not doing something that they know they should be, so it is very likely that the number of people who were not washing their hands, even peak pandemic, was higher.
In light of this, dental practices are faced with the challenge of trying to encourage better handwashing and sanitising behaviour alongside being able to provide solutions that are truly effective.
Keep instructions clear
Even if individuals are washing their hands regularly, there’s no guarantee that they are performing the action correctly. Most are aware that it is recommended to wash hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water. Regardless, a study that looked at hand washing habits in the general public found that a shocking 95% of individuals don’t clean their hands for the recommended length of time.[iv]
As such, in an effort to encourage people to follow the correct handwashing routines, it’s a smart idea to make this information available in washrooms. You can laminate a printed out copy of a handwashing guide (available here: https://www.initial.co.uk/hand-care/) and put it above sinks, or display posters with the information in washrooms for maximum effect.
Supporting better hand hygiene
Since the outbreak of Coronavirus, hand sanitiser has become another important part of a dental practice’s infection control arsenal. However, not all hand care solutions are equally powerful, so it’s important to look closely at the ingredients and efficacy of these products to find those that offer the best level of protection.
For starters, you should only consider products that can reliably kill over 99.99% of pathogens. You’ll also want to check whether potential options are accredited to certain European standards such as BS EN 1499 – this way you can guarantee that these products have been rigorously tested.
Due to high alcohol content, most hand sanitisers are, by nature, dehydrating on skin. Dry, cracked skin can actually increase the risk of people becoming infected by illnesses as it allows germs to enter the body more easily,[v] so it’s important to look for sanitising solutions that protect skin health as well.
Initial Medical offers a range of both automatic and manual dispensers that can be filled with our WHO recommended hand sanitiser. This solution contains 80% alcohol and has been validated to EN 1500 standards to ensure that it effectively defends against pathogens. Plus, our hand sanitiser has no fragrance and is kind to the skin, making it perfect for repeated use.
You can explore our hand sanitiser range here: https://www.initial.co.uk/hand-care/hand-sanitiser-dispensers/
Protect with confidence
Proper handwashing protocols and effective hand care products are vital parts of modern-day infection control. By giving clear instructions as well as investing in solutions that provide extra protection, you can help guarantee that everyone who visits your practice remains as safe as possible.
For further information please visit www.initial.co.uk/medical or Tel: 0870 850 4045
About Initial Medical Waste
Initial Medical set the standard in healthcare and infectious waste management in the UK, providing a reliable, effective and fully compliant service built around customer needs and delivered by our highly trained local teams. We are ISO 9001:2015 accredited, with technology fully integrated into our operations, providing full traceability of service delivery, electronic waste documentation and the best customer experience possible. We also offer innovative healthcare waste management services and infection control products, to help break the chain of transmission and prevent cross contamination.
Initial Medical are a company with a ‘World Class’ Health and Safety record, and ISO 45001:2018 accreditation. We are also accredited to ISO 14001:2015 environmental standards, and pride ourselves on our sustainable approach with a focus on delivering eco-friendly products and operational solutions.
For further information please visit www.initial.co.uk/medical or Tel: 0870 850 4045
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[i] World Health Organization. WHO Calls For Better Hand Hygiene And Other Infection Control Practices. Link: https://www.who.int/news/item/05-05-2021-who-calls-for-better-hand-hygiene-and-other-infection-control-practices[Last accessed January 22].
[ii] Reader’s Digest. 15 Diseases You Can Prevent Just By Washing Your Hands. Link: https://www.rd.com/article/diseases-washing-your-hands/ [Last accessed January 22].
[iii] The Economic Times. Has the frequency of washing hands decreased since the pandemic started? You need to go back to doing it more often. Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/has-the-frequency-of-washing-hands-decreased-since-the-pandemic-started-you-need-to-go-back-to-doing-it-more-often/articleshow/87157149.cms?from=mdr [Last accessed February 22].
[iv] The Atlantic. Study: 95% Of People Don’t Wash Their Hands “Correctly”. Link: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/06/study-95-of-people-dont-wash-their-hands-correctly/276720/ [Last accessed January 22].
[v] American Academy of Dermatology Association. Dry Skin Relief From Covid-19 Handwashing. Link: https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/dry/coronavirus-handwashing [Last accessed January 22].
