hand hygiene

20 Sanitation Canada - NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011 Visit us on the Internet at www.sanitationcanada.com

Queen’s University medical researchersrecently released some key findings fromthe first study of its kind done in Canadaon the impact of colds and flu on absen-teeism, the workplace and the economy.

Researchers found that the work forcegoes to work rather than calling in sick –resulting in substantial losses of produc-tivity and increased costs. Eighty-three percent of the participants in the survey saidthey continued to attend work or schoolwhile experiencing symptoms of an influ-enza-like illness. This has been termed“presenteeism” and costs employers twiceas much in productivity losses for employ-ees who come to work sick than for those

By PPPPPAAAAATRICK BOSHELLTRICK BOSHELLTRICK BOSHELLTRICK BOSHELLTRICK BOSHELL, Marketing Manager, Deb Canada

Sanitation Canada - NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011 21Visit us on the Internet at www.sanitationcanada.com

who stay home.All of this infection adds up to a sig-

nificant economic cost as researchers citedirect costs due to lost productivity fromcolds at $25 billion in the United States.Taking into consideration both indirect(lost productivity) and direct (doctor visitsand medicine) costs of colds, the figure inthe U.S. annually is $40 billion.

FLU SEASONAccording to the Public Health Agency

of Canada, the flu season usually runs fromNovember to April, and anywhere fromthree to seven-and-one-half million Ca-nadians will get the flu in any given year.

Most people recover fully in about a weekor 10 days, but some may develop seriouscomplications. Each flu season approxi-mately 20,000 Canadians are hospitalizedbecause of the flu and its complications.Additionally 2000 to 8000 Canadians,mostly seniors, die from pneumonia andother serious complications.

Influenza is spread from person to per-son via droplets when coughing or sneez-ing, and by touching objects and surfacesthat are contaminated with the virus (i.e.doorknobs and telephones), and thentouching their eyes, nose or mouth. Theinfluenza virus may persist for hours in

Every year influenza, or the flu, affects notjust our health but often the bottom linefor many businesses. Regardless if an em-ployer is large or small, the flu can be a big

disruption, and its true financial impact may be morethan you think.

Continued On Page 22

E

22 Sanitation Canada - NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011 Visit us on the Internet at www.sanitationcanada.com

hand hygieneContinued From Page 21

dried mucus, and be transmitted by directcontact. It is spread very easily indoors,which is why it is so prevalent in the wintermonths in northern countries when peo-ple spend more time together inside.

FLU PREVENTIONAccording to the Community and Hos-

pital Infection Control Association –Canada (CHICA) the following measureswill help to reduce the spread of influenza:

• Clean hands thoroughly and fre-quently with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub, especially after contact withthe eyes, nose, mouth or secretions.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose andmouth.

• Avoid handling soiled tissues or ob-jects used by an ill person.

• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tis-sue or with your sleeve; throw the tissue inthe trash after use and clean your hands.

• Get an influenza immunization.• Stay home from work or school

when ill and limit contact with others tokeep from infecting them.

• Follow the recommendations of

your local public health unit.

WORKPLACE INFECTION PREVENTIONWorkplaces and public facilities where

people interact in close proximity are at ahigher risk for the spread of germs. Ac-cording to one recent workplace microbialsurvey, “desk top surfaces, computer key-

boards, mouse and telephone receivers aremore contaminated than restroom toiletseats.”

One of the challenges is that people donot wash their hands frequently or ad-equately enough. In fact, the average per-son washes their hands for around nineseconds. Only 16 per cent wash their handsfor the recommended time periods. Inaddition, separate washroom studies fromaround the world show that less than 80per cent of people wash their hands at all,which means that one in every five of yourco-workers is walking around with un-washed hands.

Studies show that for every employeewho comes to work sick, up to 18 per centof their colleagues will become infected asa result. Since our hands are responsiblefor the spread of 80 per cent of commoninfectious diseases, effective hand hygienecontinues to be universally recognized asthe smartest, most cost effective means ofinfection control in the workplace.

HAND HYGIENE 101The Centre for Disease Control pub-

Sanitation Canada - NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011 23Visit us on the Internet at www.sanitationcanada.com 23Visit us on the Internet at www.sanitationcanada.com

lished the following helpful tips for wash-ing with soap and water as part of its “CleanHands Save Lives” initiative:• Place your hands together under wa-

ter (warm if possible).• Rub your hands together for at least

20 seconds (with soap if possible).• Wash hands thoroughly including

wrists, palms, back of hands and underthe fingernails.• Clean dirt from under the fingernails.• Rinse the soap from your hands.• Dry hands completely with a clean

towel if possible (helps to remove germs).• Pat your skin rather than rubbing to

avoid chapping and cracking.• If soap and water are not available,

use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.When soap and water are not available

or hands are not visibly soiled, use an alco-hol-based hand sanitizer to cleanse hands.In addition to improved spreadability,foaming formulations have been shown

Patrick Boshell is the marketing manager at Deb Canada. He can be contacted at : patrick.boshell@debcanada.comor visit the company we site at www.debgroup.com.

pliment routine hand washing.There are also simple, practical steps that

employers can take as part of their flu sea-son procedures, such as providing theworkforce with information on flu vacci-nation clinics and improving cleaning pro-cedures in the workplace.

Ultimately, businesses need to focus onhealth management and infection preven-tion rather than absence management.Queens University researchers concludethat, “Preventive measures that result in

even a modest reduction in colds and fluwould have a significant impact on reduc-ing costs to the healthcare system and im-pact on the economy.”

to provide superior compliance and effi-cacy. When combined with hand washing,the effectiveness of alcohol hand sanitizersis increased, and can reduce the risk of in-fection by, on average, 20 to 40 per cent.

MAKING HAND HYGIENE CONTAGIOUSFor many organizations, implement-

ing and maintaining appropriate hand hy-giene practices is a daily challenge, becauseof inconsistent hand hygiene habits acrossthe population.

Studies show that organizations canreduce the risk of spreading germs byadopting good hand hygiene practices, pro-viding adequate hand washing facilities andpromoting the use of a hand sanitizer ap-plied regularly to clean, dry hands to com-

One of the challenges is thatpeople do not wash their

hands frequently oradequately enough. In fact,the average person washestheir hands for around nine

seconds and only 16 per centwash their hands for the

recommended time periods. Kills 99.999%of many germs

and bacteria.

Infection Control in theWorkplace eLearning availablewww.debgroup.com

It’s often the things youcan’t see that harm you the most.

Invisible Problem...Germs and bacteria that cause common illnesses are invisible to the naked eye.

Instant Solution...Deb InstantFOAM

TMAlcohol Hand

Sanitizer helps to prevent the spreadof germs and contributes towards ahealthier working environment.