Coronavirus is impacting people in nearly every corner of the world, and businesses, organizations and governments are taking significant steps in an attempt to reduce the spread of the pandemic.
Across the country, mayors and governors are ordering businesses to close their doors, cautioning their residents to practice strict social distancing and even issuing stay-at-home-orders. While essential service providers like grocery stores (and us!) remain open, facility managers are combating the virus in crucial ways. One of the best ways to fight the pandemic is by ensuring your facility is well-equipped for proper hand hygiene.
Why Hand Hygiene Matters
Coronavirus primarily spreads through droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets often land on surfaces, then transfer to the hands of people who touch those surfaces. When those people then touch their faces, the virus is given an opportunity to enter their bodies. That’s why the CDC stresses that proper hand washing and drying is one of the essential keys for slowing the spread of the virus.
A Simple Solution: Soap and Water
The most effective method of washing hands is still the simplest: good old soap and water. This method provides the friction needed to get rid of simple soils, and soap contains surfactants that lift harmful microbes from the hands.
Facility managers should do everything possible to encourage hand washing, including making soap and paper towels easily accessible. Place visible signage above sinks as a reminder for staff to wash their hands for a minimum of twenty seconds with water and soap. Consider automated soap and towel dispensers if you don’t have them already to further reduce physical touch-points. Share instructions for proper hand washing with your staff too, like this video from Johns Hopkins University:
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