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June 27, 2019

The Importance of Hand Hygiene

The Importance of Hand Hygiene

We hear all the time about how important hand hygiene is and that we should be regularly washing our hands, especially after visits to the bathroom and before eating, but why is hand hygiene so important to our health?

In short, washing your hands properly is one of the main things you can do to prevent the spread of diseases. Good hand hygiene helps to reduce the likeliness of flu, food poisoning and healthcare associated infections being spread from person to person, with nearly 50% of all foodborne illness outbreaks being linked back to improper hand hygiene.   

But it’s not just a case of rinse your hands with water and you’re done, you need to make sure that you’re thoroughly washing your hands with soap and water every time you wash them, to ensure that all germs on your hands are killed. When you are washing your hands, you need to make sure that the tips of your fingers, the palms of your hands, your thumbs and your fingernails are all cleaned. Most people wash the palms of their hands and miss out everything else, when in fact most of the bacteria on our hands is on our fingertips and under fingernails, with bacteria doubling after using the bathroom.

It’s also important to know when you should be washing your hands as well as how, as this is another big contributor in preventing the spread of illnesses. You should be washing your hands after using the bathroom, before prepping and before eating food, when you’ve coughed or sneezed, when your hands are visibly dirty from work or other activities, after touching animals or animal waste, after handing rubbish and before and after visiting a hospital ward or other healthcare facility.

 

How to effectively wash your hands

So, how can you ensure that you’re washing your hands correctly? Follow this ten-step method and you’ll be clean as a whistle:

  • Wet hands under warm running water
  • Add soap
  • Rub palms together to create lather
  • Rub the backs of hands vigorously with palms with fingers interlaced
  • Wash between fingers
  • Group fingers together, rub tips in lather on palm of opposite hand
  • Rotational rubbing of left thumb clasped in right palm and vice-versa
  • Rub the right wrist with the left palm and vice-versa
  • Rub backs of fingers against opposite palm
  • Rinse hands to remove all soap and dry hands thoroughly
A person is washing their hands with soap and water.

The post The Importance of Hand Hygiene appeared first on Spectrum.

New Recycling and Food Waste Regulations Take Effect on 31st March 2025

By Aaron Clark • January 8, 2025
Starting 31st March 2025, businesses across England will face new regulations mandating the separation of dry recycling and food waste from general waste. In line with the UK government’s sustainability goals under the Environment Act 2021 , is a pivotal step toward minimising the environmental impact of commercial waste. Under the new regulations, waste must be separated at the source before it is collected. This means businesses are responsible for ensuring recyclable and food waste is sorted appropriately on-site. Additionally, the use of equipment such as macerators and similar food waste treatment devices will no longer be allowed. Key Waste Streams to Separate Businesses must manage their waste according to the following categories: Food Waste: All food waste should be handled sustainably. Dry Mixed Recyclables: This includes paper, cardboard, plastics, metals, and other recyclable materials. General Waste: Non-recyclable items fall into this category. Businesses that fail to comply with these requirements may face financial penalties, reinforcing the importance of adhering to the new waste management standards. Starting in April 2025, members of the public and other stakeholders will have the ability to report workplaces that fail to comply with these regulations to the Environment Agency. Who Needs to Comply? This legislation applies to businesses, public sector organisations, and third-sector institutions with 10 or more employees. Affected entities include: Restaurants and cafés Offices and co-working spaces Schools and educational institutions Hospitals and healthcare facilities Transport hubs such as train stations and airports Smaller businesses, while not immediately required to comply, are encouraged to adopt these practices early to benefit from cost savings and reduced environmental impact.
Person in hazmat suit cleaning

COSHH Frequently Asked Questions

August 29, 2024
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations are essential for maintaining a safe workplace, especially when dealing with hazardous substances. It is a legal requirement to comply with these regulations to ensure safety. Below, we address some of the most common questions surrounding COSHH to help you understand and comply with these critical safety requirements. COSHH Assessment Does my employer need to provide me with a copy of the COSHH assessment? Yes, employers are required to provide information about the hazards, risks, and control measures related to hazardous substances. If your employer has five or more employees, they must also record the significant findings of the risk assessment, and this record should be accessible for inspection by safety representatives and authorities.
A row of hospital beds are lined up in a hospital hallway.

Are Hospital Surfaces Really Clean?

By Aaron Clark • February 29, 2024
A recent study reveals that despite strict adherence to recommended disinfection protocols in hospitals, microbial contamination persists on high-touch surfaces. Conducted by researchers at the Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System, the study involved sampling 400 high-touch surfaces, such as workstations, breakroom tables, bed rails, resuscitation training dummies, and computer keyboards at nurse’s stations. The analysis […] The post Are Hospital Surfaces Really Clean? appeared first on Spectrum.
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