Hand washing is an area of competence that is critical.
It ensures the health and wellbeing of yourself, the individuals you support and anyone else that you or the individual has contact with.
When should you wash your hands?
You should wash them…
Most people do not wash their hands correctly.
8 different fast food restaurants in London and Birmingham had their self-serve touch screens tested in November 2018.
The results showed harmful gut bacteria and faecal bacteria (yep that’s poo) on their touch screens. They found staphylococcus among others. This shows how important hand hygiene is.
How often do you order from a self service machine then wash your hands before eating with them? Yuckity yuck yuck yuck!
Think about the way you wash your hands.
Do you follow the correct procedures?
Your workplace is likely to have a policy about hand washing..
Effective hand washing
If you wash your hands correctly, it should take around 20-30 seconds.
You may be able to use alcohol hand rub (sometimes called sanitising hand gel) in some situations.
If your hands feel ‘dirty’ or are visibly dirty: wash them with soap and water in a sink. Never use alcohol hand rub when your hands are visibly dirty as organic material can inactivate the alcohol.
To use alcohol hand rub effectively…
- Apply a palmful of product.
- Rub vigorously for 20-30 seconds.
- Make sure to distribute the product between your fingers, under your nails, under your wedding ring (if you wear one), on your wrists and on the back of each hand.
- Wait for your hands to be dry before using them.
Make sure you check the individual’s care plan.
Always check if people have bacteria or viruses that are not killed by alcohol hand rubs.
World Health Organisation (WHO)
You will find more information about hand washing on their website.
“Clean Care is Safer Care”.
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