Providing soap and water hand washing where it will be most effective in the workplace

Why it’s the best and most effective way of keeping germs at bay in the office

Soap and water hand washing facilities in the workplace provide more effective infection control than any type of gel – and they don’t contribute to the rapidly increasing development of superbugs, unlike sanitisers.

This point of view is also echoed by author John Engel in a recent report on the Cleaning & Maintenance Management (CMM) website.

“Proper handwashing includes using soap and warm water and scrubbing for at least 20 seconds to remove germs.”

The article draws on a Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) article which advocates the soap and water method, along with a warning that “Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water.”

Hand washing facilities in the wrong place?

There is, however, a problem with the provision of hand washing stations – not least the fact that they’re often not located where they would actually provide the greatest benefit. As Mr. Engels states in his article:

“Warm water and soap are not always readily available, especially near high-touch surfaces such as registration desks or elevators.”

There is of course no need for this to be the case – instead of relying on sanitisers, which are very much the inferior hand hygiene option compared to soap and water washing.

There is of course no need for this to be the case - instead of relying on sanitisers, which are very much the inferior hand hygiene option compared to soap and water washing, it would make a great deal of sense for facilities managers to simply install portable hand wash units at the point of need - or put another way, where they will provide the greatest benefit...

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