Now more than ever, we know the importance of creating a positive and successful culture surrounding handwashing and hygiene in the fight against infection. We have seen first hand how easily infection can spread, and how effective hand washing is in stopping that spread.
As restrictions, ease and the initial fear of the unknown relaxes it is important to ensure that our habits and efforts do not relax along with them. This is where it becomes crucial for facilities to implement the proper procedures, provide equipment, and most importantly encourage a positive culture that keeps hand washing and hygiene at an all-time high!
Now is the time where it is important for individual facilities and workforces to make their difference. While individual efforts and habits are important, the collective effort is most powerful and effective in causing change.
Any culture amongst employees of a workplace is incredibly important. This is where staff members support each other, cooperate, and turn a simple job into something fun and enriching. That is why if you want to truly encourage good hygiene at your facility, hand washing systems needs to become part of the culture.
Instead of just telling your staff to wash their hands, show them why it’s important. Teach them the difference they make just by simply increasing their hand hygiene. Changing or adding to a routine is never easy to do, showing your staff that in keeping to these new standards they are making a difference. This positive reinforcement will not only encourage them to stay on top of their own habits but behind to support and encourage each other in doing so.
The Four Pillars Of Good Handwashing Culture
We’ve broken down what it takes to successfully implement a positive culture of handwashing habits across your facility.
By covering these following four bases, your staff will be encouraged and inclined to up their hand hygiene.
Hygienic Packaging
First and foremost ensure you, supply staff, with hygienic equipment and packaging. Demonstrate your dedication to thorough hygiene practices with the appropriate closed cartridge systems installed. Hands free or limited touch systems are another great way to limit the spread or growth of germs where possible. A study found that soap dispensers that weren’t kept hygienic and sealed could contaminate soap with bacteria, thus increasing the bacteria on one’s hand up to 26 times even after washing.
Ease of Use
Secondly, the easiest way to get more staff washing their hands more often is to make doing so easier than ever! Creating an easy and enjoyable experience through usability will help keep compliance up across the board. This study found that in facilities where more sinks were accessible nurses washed their hands 76% more than those who only had access to one sink.
Presentation
Presentation is another important part of encouraging increased handwashing. The presentation of all stations, equipment, and signage, should be clean, concise, clear, and cohesive throughout your entire facility. This helps increase the value placed on handwashing and further the positive culture around it. This study found that amongst 43,021 respondents from 351 different workspaces states that employee satisfaction directly correlated with workplace cleanliness.
Economic Value
A good system is one that is viable for the long term. If you don’t want your staff to relax or abandon new routines or habits it is crucial to have a long term strategy in place. Ensure your equipment and procurement is cost efficient. Make sure it is always proactive instead of reactive so you are always stocked and prepared. This way you will be leading by example and demonstrating the value around supporting a positive hand washing culture. By implementing measured deposits from soap and sanitiser dispensers, facilities won’t have to worry about maxing out budgets on wasted product. Another economic bonus of proper hygiene at work is that less germs will be spread and thus less sick days taken by the staff. Staff calling in sick can cost a business up to $340 a day, a cost that quickly adds up over a year.
If you need a hand getting your handwashing supplies sorted, chat to our team for a tailored solution today!
