Why wash your hands?

Hands are the part of the body that are most exposed to germs and substances in the home, the environment and areas shared with other people such as offices, schools, hospitals, shopping centres and public transport.

You use your hands to: 

• eat 
• touch 
• pick up and carry things
• clean things 
• scratch your body 
• wipe your own body 
• shake other people’s hands

All these activities can pick up unwanted germs, dirt or chemicals or transmit them to your mouth or to other objects or people.

Unwashed hands can quickly spread germs around a building via door and cupboard handles, kettles, shared devices such as telephones, photocopiers, mice, keyboards etc and in businesses cause a high proportion of time off work. If you handle or prepare food for other people your hands can contaminate the food and make other people ill.

Poor hand hygiene is the main cause of preventable illness in offices, schools, hospitals and food establishments.

The purpose of washing hands is to remove dirt, dangerous chemicals and microorganisms that can cause disease or contaminate food and items that people use. 

The simple act of hand washing will reduce the risk of stomach bugs by nearly half (47%).

How washing hands works

• The warm water and soap suspends the dirt and grease containing germs and contaminating substances 
• Friction from rubbing hands together pulls the dirt and grease away from the skin 
• Rinsing in running water washes away the suspended dirt and grease, helped by further rubbing 
• Wiping hands dry removes more germs and dry hands are safer because they transfer far fewer germs to things you touch than wet hands

When to wash your hands

There are many situations when your hands can pick up germs or transfer germs to objects or people and when hand washing will help protect you or others.

Wash your hands in these situations: 

• Before eating 
• Before handling foods 
• Before giving medications 
• Before putting contact lenses in eyes 
• Before and after touching any animals (you can give them germs too) 
• After going to the toilet 
• On arriving at work or school 
• After coughing or sneezing 
• After getting visible soil on hands 
• After handling raw meat/poultry or unwashed fruits and vegetables 
• After smoking, eating or drinking 
• After visiting shops and handling shopping trolleys, baskets, shop goods 
• After going on public transport 
• After touching sores, lacerations or infected areas on yourself or others 
• After cleaning eg wiping table tops, kitchen surfaces, using a mop 
• After playing/working outside 
• After playing with pets

Bibliography

1. Employee Hygiene and Handwashing in Retail Foodservice Establishments. http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/magazine-archive1/februarymarch-2016/employee-hygiene-and-handwashing-in-retail-foodservice-establishments/ 

2. Minnesota Department of Public Health, Hand Hygiene. http://www.health.state.mn.us/handhygiene/index.html

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