Hand Hygiene
Effective hand washing and drying routines are a primary means of reducing infections in students and staff.
Many disease causing virus and bacteria are carried on hands and can be passed from person to person through direct contact with the person's hands or though objects or food that the person has touched.
Students should be encouraged to take responsibility for their own hand washing and drying but to do so they need a supportive environment.
Recommended technique for good hand hygiene practice
- Wet hands, preferably with warm water and apply liquid soap
- Rub hands vigorously together and rub all areas
- Wash for 20 seconds (about the same time as it takes to sing Happy Birthday)
- Rinse well and dry hands thoroughly, the following examples are considered thorough:
- 20 seconds by paper towel (2 towels 10 seconds on each towel)
- 20 seconds by clean roller towel
- 45 seconds by air dryer
o 10 seconds by towel followed by 20 seconds by air dryer
Times when hands should be washed
- After coughing or sneezing (when the hands have been used to cover the mouth or nose)
- After using the toilet or after handling animals
- Before, during and after the preparation of food
- When hands are dirty
- More often if someone is sick
Rationale and tips for use of:
Liquid soap
- Lowers the likelihood of the transfer of infection from person to person.
- Wall mounted dispensers are preferable to hand held dispensers.
- Pump action dispensers help reduce soap wastage.
- Research the best soap and dispenser deal, getting a free dispenser from a supplier might be a good option, but beware of deals that lock you into higher priced bulk soap.
Paper towels
- Lower the likelihood of the transfer of infection from person to person.
- To make these more economical, half-sized paper towels are available that can be used with standard dispensers.
- Research the best towel and dispenser deal.
Air dryers
- Hands must be dried thoroughly to stop the spread of infection (takes approx 45 seconds).
- Younger students may find air dryers frightening to use.
Warm water
· Warm water is preferable to cold water.
· Providing warm water improves compliance of people washing their hands at all. What proportion of students will put their hands under ice-cold water in the winter?
· If warm water is supplied, it must not exceed a temperature of 40ºC.
The Ministry of Education has worked with the Ministry of Health to produce these best practice guidelines.
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