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Wash your hands to control infection
We’ve been getting safety talks our whole life. They started with our moms and dads. Look both ways before you cross the street, don't play with matches…do this, don’t do that. I am sure that regular hand washing may have been one of these early safety topics. You probably even frequently heard, “It’s dinner time; go wash your hands.”
For some reason, many of us don’t take the time to wash our hands…and we pay the consequences by getting sick. The following points are brought to us by Barbara Manning Grimm from an article she published in October of 2007. Ms. Grimm is the editor for Bongarde Media and a safety talk writer for more than 20 years.
Why Hand washing Really Is Important
If I tell you that it's important to wash your hands thoroughly and regularly, I'll probably come off sounding like a mother hen. After all, you've no doubt heard the message a million times from your parents; and you've probably delivered it another million times to your own kids.
So I want to ask you not to just turn me off. Give me a few minutes and let's really think about what's at stake here.
What's the Danger?
This planet is inhabited by literally billions of deadly agents. "Germs" is the common name for microbes, the organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites that cause disease. They are too small to be seen without a microscope; but the harm they inflict is out of all proportion to their size.
Germs do their damage covertly. They enter your body when you touch your mouth, nose or eyes. Germs are in the foods you eat, the fluids you drink and the air you breathe. They're on other things that touch your body such as dishes, glasses, utensils, cigarettes and cosmetics.
But perhaps the biggest spreader of germs is other people. Germs live in and on the body. They're spread through hand-to-hand contact and by coughing or sneezing.
How Should You Protect Yourself?
Your mom and dad probably weren't biologists or lab scientists. But when they nagged you about hand washing, they were onto something. You see, washing your hands frequently and well is the single most effective way to prevent illnesses from germs. Hand washing keeps you from getting sick; just as importantly, it keeps you from spreading germs to other people - like your spouse, children and co-workers. In a sense, washing your hands is just as much about being a good and responsible person as it is about staying well.
All of us encounter germs on the job. And all of us carry germs that can spread to those we work with and around. So hand washing is important for all jobs. But certain occupations will have more exacting standards than others. For example, surgeons and food service workers must wash their hands especially well because they touch our bodies and the foods we eat. Sewer workers and trash collectors are at a high risk of exposure to contamination. Hand washing is also of particular importance in jobs that involve housekeeping, handling money and caring for children.
Some safety precautions are one-time operations. Take the precaution and you're covered at least for several hours. Unfortunately, hand washing isn't like this. It requires constant repeating. You need to make it a point to wash your hands at certain critical points in the day or during a shift, such as:
• Before eating;
• Before preparing food (Wash before you handle each different food. For example, wash between cutting the raw chicken and dicing the vegetables.);
• After using the toilet;
• Before using the toilet if you've been handling chemicals;
• Before handling contact lenses; and
• Before putting on makeup.
How to Wash Your Hands
All right, let's get down to the nitty gritty, literally. I want to tell you about the proper way to wash your hands. Don't roll those eyeballs. I know you've been washing your hands since childhood. But I'll bet you're not doing it right - or at least as well as you should be. If everybody knew how to wash properly, infection wouldn't be nearly as big a problem. So, even though it might sound like nagging, a good lesson on hand washing is something we all can use.
To wash your hands effectively, follow these steps:
• Remove rings and other jewelry.
• Use hot water.
• Wet your hands and forearms thoroughly.
• Use soap and lather up well.
• Scrub all over your hands, between your fingers, as well as your wrists and forearms for 15 seconds. That's longer than you would think, so count one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi up to 10 before you finish.
• Clean under your fingernails.
• Rinse well under warm running water.
• Dry your hands completely with a hot air dryer or a single-use towel.
This is the tricky part: Avoid contaminating your hands again as you leave the washroom. For instance, use a paper towel to open the door and hit the light switch (and to turn off the water tap.)
If your work requires you to wash your hands frequently you might develop problems with dry, irritated skin. Skin excessively dry from washing is prone to infection. Apply moisturizers frequently to prevent chapping. Talk to me or another supervisor about the use of protective gloves and barrier creams if appropriate for your work.
Beyond the Hand washing Basics
Hand washing is one of the most important ways to avoid picking up germs and spreading them to others. But I would be remiss if I didn't end this safety talk by offering you some other tips:
• Cuts and sores are a magnet for germs. So if you have any cuts or sores cover them with bandages and wear gloves or other protection.
• Artificial nails also attract germs. So, take extra care to clean hands properly if you wear them.
• Keep your hands away from your face.
• Use liquid soap in disposable containers if possible. Reusable containers should be washed and dried before refilling. Bar soap should be set on a rack to drain and dry between uses.
Conclusion
Infection control researchers keep coming to the same conclusion: We don't wash our hands often enough or well enough. Let's wash our hands of this bad habit.
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