by Beth Pullin

Those of us in the cleaning industry are charged with a great responsibility?to protect human health?and today’s jansan distributors have a greater opportunity to help meet this goal than ever before. As more studies are circulated on the connection between cleaning and health, distributors now can help educate their clients on the importance of proper hand hygiene with scientific research to support their claims. In addition to providing training, product, and industry knowledge, jansan distributors also can address practices, like hand washing, that are still not widespread.

This lack of good hand-washing practices is especially true for children. The spread of infectious disease accounts for more than 164 million lost school days annually among kindergarten through 12th grade students in U.S. public schools, according to figures provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). On average, students are absent from school four and a half days a year due to illness. The school-age child averages four colds per year, and each cold can last five to 14 days.*

Much of this is because many germs?and many diseases?are transmitted by the hands. Hand washing is the “single most important prevention step for reducing disease transmission,” says the CDC. To protect the health of children as well as of the adults who come in contact with them, hands should always be washed after using the restroom and before eating or drinking.

One of the core problems associated with poor hand hygiene are food-borne illnesses, not only among children but among the public at large. Each year, the CDC reports, there are approximately 76 million illnesses, 325 thousand hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths in the United States as a result of food-borne illnesses. And this problem is certainly not confined to the United States. According to The New York Times (July 13, 2008), somewhere around the world, a child dies every 15 seconds as a result of disease and food-borne illness caused by dirty hands.

Why the Problem Continues
As referenced earlier, although hand hygiene is critical and has been heavily emphasized in recent years, the problem continues, especially among children. The possible reasons for this are many. Some experts believe that some school administrators, facility managers, and building designers minimize the importance of hand washing (or sanitizing) in stopping the spread of germs because they are not fully aware of how crucial the practice is.

“We also must recognize that in some cases, there may really be barriers to good hand hygiene,” says Mike Nelson, vice president of marketing for Pro-Link, a jansan-focused marketing and buying group based in Canton, MA. “This includes inadequate or inconveniently located hand-washing facilities, lack of proper hand-washing/sanitizing training, and inadequate hand-washing methods,” says Nelson. “This is true even though there are several regulations, especially in health-care and food-service facilities, requiring not only adequate [hand-washing or sanitizing] facilities, but regular education and training on the importance of hand washing or sanitization.”

Nelson suggests that hand-washing facilities should be readily accessible and, in schools, configured for easy use by children (low enough for them to reach or equipped with a stool). He also advises that hand-washing/sanitizing stations be conveniently located in “transition areas” such as in school classrooms, lunch rooms, and laboratories?not just restrooms. And they must be maintained, fully stocked, with plenty of hand soap and paper towels or sanitizer. According to the CDC, these steps help ensure proper hand hygiene:

“Wet hands with running water; place soap in palms; rub together to make a lather; scrub hands vigorously for 20 seconds; rinse soap off hands.

If possible, turn off the faucet by using a disposable paper towel.

Dry hands with a disposable paper towel. Do not dry hands on clothing.

Assist young children with washing their hands.”

“And today, more and more educational and other facilities are using ‘green’-certified soaps,” says Nelson. “These have been proven to be effective and cost effective, and have a number of health and environmental benefits.”

Opportunities for Jansan Distributors
The education marketplace is one of the biggest purchasing sectors for jansan distributors, and where a need for proper hand washing is particularly concentrated. And in many other types of facilities, such as health care and food processing, the need for proper hand-hygiene education and training is as great as or greater than in schools. “This is a challenge that can be addressed by jansan distributors,” says Mike Nelson. “In many ways, it is an opportunity for distributors and again defines what our industry is all about?protecting human health and the environment.” * Study Finds Hand Sanitizers Reduce Illness-Related Absenteeism in Schools conducted by GOJO Industries, Inc and reported in The American Journal of Infection Control (October 2000) and other publications.

Reprint courtesy of ISSA (International Sanitary Supply Association-www.issa.com)