Handwashing and hand drying goes a long way toward eliminating the spread of germs and maintaining proper hygiene. In few places is that emphasis more important than public restrooms in institutional and commercial facilities.
The simple act of handwashing took on greater emphasis during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing to the forefront the importance of proper hand hygiene to maintain healthy conditions in restrooms.
During the pandemic, facility managers and health leaders emphasized the advantages of handwashing with soap and water for 20 seconds to avoid the spread of germs.
Since nobody wants to experience the pandemic again, it’s important that the 20 second handwashing tradition continues even today. To remind people of its importance, the World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization have declared May 5 as World Hand Hygiene Day.
Organizers hope to bring attention to the practice with social media campaigns, webinars and flyers emphasizing the importance of good hand hygiene. According to the website promoting the day, healthcare-associated infections are among the most common adverse events that occur worldwide, as 136 million cases of antibiotic-resistant infections associated with healthcare occur worldwide.
Facility managers interested in carrying out campaigns of their own on the importance of proper hand hygiene should check this link for ideas.
Some of our stories over the years focusing on hand hygiene include the following links.
Dave Lubach is the executive editor of the facilities market.
