Reducing The Spread Of Infection In Educational Facilities
The spotlight is on hand hygiene and its role in minimising the spread of infection during the winter months. School business managers and cleaning professionals have an important role to play in encouraging hand hygiene compliance and thus helping to reduce the risk of outbreaks amongst pupils and staff members.
A huge 60% of absences across schools in England can be attributed to illness according to the UK Department for Education. Furthermore, the national curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2 in particular specifies that pupils should be taught how to maintain personal hygiene and improve their health and wellbeing. With this in mind, it is crucial that good handwashing habits are taught from an early age in the classroom.
Hands are the primary vehicle for germ transfer, either by person-to-person contact or by touching everyday surfaces, and thus good hand hygiene is one of the best methods of minimising the spread of infection in schools. For example, the NHS reports that norovirus can survive outside the body for several days. Washing hands with soap and water is one of the simplest and easiest ways for pupils to protect themselves and others from a range of illnesses.
However, it is within the school facility itself where hand hygiene compliance can be most effectively targeted. Washroom foam soap provider, SC Johnson Professional, offer bespoke dispensers which engage pupils further with bespoke messaging, helping to raise the importance of hand hygiene in a constructive manner. Bright and attractive dispensers can bring handwashing to life in the washroom and help engage younger pupils.
School business managers should also look at the types of dispensers installed; hygiene compliance can soon become irrelevant if the washroom itself is unhygienic. Bulk-filled, open soap systems are commonly seen in washrooms, but in reality, they can present a serious hygiene problem. Airborne germs and bacteria can enter the soap reservoir, risking contamination – these dispensers are also often inadequately cleaned or refilled. According to a study by Chattman, Maxwell and Gerba, a huge 25% of refillable bulk soap dispensers are contaminated with unsafe levels of bacteria and can actually leave the hands with a shocking 25 times more bacteria after washing.
Sealed cartridge soap dispensers will bring maximum hygiene, with a measured dose of fresh product dispensed each time. The maintenance of washrooms has a significant impact on hand hygiene, and with a more readily replaceable cartridge, this is made easier and simpler for cleaning professionals. With cleaner and pleasant-to-use soap dispensers, pupils are far more likely to wash hands thoroughly.
When tackling the spread of infection during the winter months, a double-edged approach is needed. Facilities should be hygienic with quality, effective skin care product, and awareness of best practice should be raised wherever possible to pupils and staff. With this method, the spread of germs can be minimised, thus effectively reducing associated effects such as illness and absenteeism.
For more information on SC Johnson Professional’s products and resources for schools, head to www.scjp.com.
