Handwashing awareness week

SC Johnson Professional shared hand hygiene tips for National Handwashing Awareness Week. Taking place Dec. 3-9, the week promotes healthy hand hygiene habits.

“Proper hand hygiene is an important first step in infection prevention,” says Bryant Davis, vice president and general manager of North America at SC Johnson Professional. “This week is the perfect opportunity to assess your facility’s hygiene protocols and identify areas for improvement to help increase hand hygiene awareness and education.”

1. Understand What Proper Hand Washing Entails: The correct handwashing procedure involves a thorough process: wet hands, apply soap and scrub for 30 seconds, then rinse and thoroughly dry with a clean towel. Also, it's important to remember the key times to wash hands are after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose, after using the restroom and before food preparation.

2. Reinforce Hand Hygiene Protocols: Remind facility occupants of correct handwashing techniques with strategically placed signage. The CDC recommends signs be prominently placed in public areas with high visibility, such as restrooms and work areas.

3. Implement Hand Sanitizer Stations: Placing hand sanitizer stations throughout high-traffic areas can help increase hand hygiene frequency. These stations provide a convenient solution when traditional handwashing is not possible. In order to be effective and legally compliant, sanitizers must contain at least 60 percent alcohol.

4. Keep Hand Hygiene Supplies Stocked: Maintaining a reliable inventory of hand hygiene supplies, such as hand soap and paper towels, is important. Make a commitment to maintain a consistent supply of hygiene products to help support the promotion of proper hand hygiene habits.