Washing your hands is an easy yet essential way to stop bacteria and germs from spreading at the best of times and absolutely critical in these current times.
Washing hands for 20 seconds is central to the expanded public awareness campaign to prevent and slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Public Health England advise on the importance of washing your hands more often, especially:
when you get to work or arrive home
after you blow your nose, cough or sneeze
before you eat or handle food
You should wash your hands for 20 seconds, using soap and water or hand sanitiser.
You should also cough or sneeze into tissues before binning them.
The good news is that, no matter where you work, you can adopt effective hand washing steps, which are widely used by workplaces and recommended by the NHS. At AMD we understand just how important this is and make sure all staff know how to do it properly.
Why is hand washing so important?
The importance of hand washing cannot be understated. Hands are the primary carriers of dirt, viruses, and bacteria, as they can come into contact with so many different surfaces throughout the day.
The following hand washing facts show just how easily hands can spread bacteria:
Globally, only one in five people wash their hands after using the bathroom.
The average office worker’s hands come into contact with 10 million bacteria per day.
An estimated 61% of healthcare professionals do not clean their hands correctly.
Around 50% of hospital-acquired infections can be easily avoided through better hand hygiene.
Contaminated hands can transfer viruses to more than 5 surfaces or 14 other objects.
Damp hands spread 1,000 times more bacteria than dry hands.
Bacteria can stay alive on hands for up to 3 hours.
How to wash your hands and stay safe?
It really is straightforward.
The NHS has published a great video – please click on the link to see more:
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/best-way-to-wash-your-hands/
And don't forget - 20 seconds at least, every time!!