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“Any authority on the subject will tell you the most effective way to wage war on cross-infection is to improve hand hygiene,” says Manty Stanley from TEAL Handwash, “yet the most common weapons we use in this war are alcohol hand gels and foams which fail to kill the majority of contaminants including the deadly clostridium difficile or norovirus1. They can’t take the place of soap and water and should only be used as a supplement not as a substitute for hand washing.”
The importance of hot water hand washing Good hand hygiene, achieved through hand washing, is considered to be the single-most important practice in reducing transmission of infection2 as hands harbour over 150 species of bacteria.
Hand wash unit - (illustrated) is the TEAL ProWash portable hot water hand wash unit. Simply refill the TEALtainer with clean water and plug in - a hot water hand wash wherever it's needed.
Poor hand hygiene is often the root from which respiratory, intestinal and skin infections spread, caused when hand washing is not performed or performed inadequately. The twelve million reported cases of norovirus and gastroenteritis in Britain in 2008 and the MRSA epidemic in hospitals in 2007 are all due to pathogen on dirty hands.3
There are almost ten million cases of E-Coli and other stomach bugs each year in England at a cost to the economy of £3.5million.4
It is estimated that most of the 120 million common colds contracted each year in the UK are caused by viruses spread through dirty hands.5
Sickness absence costs employers £494 year in direct costs for every worker employed.6
TEAL Patents has done extensive desk research which shows alcohol rubs are only of use on already-clean hands.
“If hands are visibly soiled, you must wash them with hot water and soap. If you’ve been to the toilet or come into contact with any body fluids – sickness, diarrhoea, urine, coughs and sneezes etc – you must wash your hands with hot water and soap,” says Manty Stanley.
“Alcohol rubs fail to remove the majority of contaminants and will only thoroughly clean hands if they’re used correctly. However the alcohol content of the hand rub must be at least 60% to be effective7. Higher concentrations of alcohol are less effective because alcohol can’t denature proteins without water8. Alcohol doesn’t remove dirt and it can cause dry and damaged skin. If they’re used incorrectly, they won’t reduce the risk of infection. Correct use requires application of enough hand gel to sufficiently cover the hands completely and then it should be rubbed into all areas of the hand for approximately fifteen seconds until dry or until the product has evaporated9.”
Manty Stanley says, “hand washing with hot water and liquid soap - using a recognised technique - will remove transient organisms. Using a soap which contains an emollient is recommended as harsh antiseptic soaps may make hands sore with repeated use which, in turn, may contribute to the transmission of infection10.”
1 Isle of Wight Primary Care Trust. (2007) Patient Information leaflet – Alcohol Hand Gel
2 Public Health Wales (2009) Infection Prevention Model Policy / Procedure 2 – Hand Hygiene Policy and Procedure.
3 The Times (2008) How clean are your hands?
4 Daily Mail (2011) Now wash your hands please. Available from www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-52385 .
5 The Times (2008) How clean are your hands?
6 Wash your hands campaign: NHS. (2011). Facts about hand hygiene and washing hands. Available from http://www.wash-hands.com/did_you_know.html.
