31 Jul Handwashing – The do-it-yourself-vaccine
Handwashing is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of disease – and a basic prerequisite for everyone working in the food industry asserts Prof James Marsden, Kansas State University Regent’s Distinguished Professor of Food Safety. He offers some sage advice in this article…
A recent article on the official homepage of the US Army refers to handwashing as an affordable ‘do it yourself vaccine’.
A study on infections in confined spaces, including cruise ships, military barracks and college dormitories (Infectious Disease Clinics of North America: (21 [2007] 773 – 784) cited attention to good personal hygiene, safe food and water handling and the use of vaccines as the most effective means of controlling both respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Several studies have shown that habitual hand washing after touching contaminated surfaces lowers the risk of contracting influenza.
The most catastrophic public health event in modern history was the 1918 influenza pandemic. It affected 500 million people around the world and resulted in 50 -100 million deaths. The origin of the pandemic was the army base at Fort Riley, Kansas. It was spread as soldiers from the US traveled abroad during the First World War. (It’s noteworthy that the new strain of bird flu – H7N9 – associated with the current outbreak in China is one of the most lethal that has surfaced in recent years). Preventing the spread of infectious diseases in barracks and close quarters is one of the reasons the US Army is so focused on handwashing.
Proper handwashing is a basic prerequisite for everyone working in the meat industry, including animal handlers, plant employees, foodservice workers and retail employees. Consumers can also greatly reduce the risk of cross contamination in their home kitchens through frequent handwashing.
So what is the proper way to wash hands? Here are the steps that are recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control:
- Wet your hands with clean running water (warm or cold) and apply soap.
- Rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub them well; be sure to scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Continue rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
- Rinse your hands well under running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry.
The CDC also provides guidance on when to wash your hands:
- Before, during, and after preparing food
- Before eating food
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
- After using the toilet
- After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
- After touching garbage
- (I would add after traveling on airplanes or other public transport).
I also recommend that food companies train all employees on when and how to wash their hands. In addition, it’s important that appropriate facilities for handwashing are available and strategically placed in food processing plants, restaurants and retail food stores.
On a recent visit to France, I observed some innovations that help promote improved handwashing and hygiene. Many bathrooms in France are equipped with a timed hand dryer that also contains a UV lamp. It provides for a full 15 seconds of drying under UV. It doesn’t replace hand towels which are used in addition to the dryer.
Whether you work with food or just prepare it, keep the importance of frequent handwashing in mind. It certainly helps promote food safety. If you make a habit of frequently washing your hands, you will also be healthier and much less likely to catch colds or the flu.
Source: Meatingplace blog