All businesses must have adequate hygiene facilities by law. However, some businesses must comply with regulations specific to their sector. For example, hospitality businesses or any business which runs a kitchen and/or serves food such as hotels, restaurants and bars, as well as places where the risk of infection are high such as health centres and hospitals, must comply with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations.
Washrooms and toilet facilities are not subject to the strict legislation that kitchens are. The only legal requirement for providing washroom services at a place of business is the inclusion of sanitary waste bins and their maintenance.
However, it’s obvious that the best practice is to maintain a modern, clean and tidy washroom for employees, visitors and the public. The standard of washroom cleanliness and equipment creates an instant and lasting impression on users so every business owner should ensure that a high level of hygiene is maintained at all costs and at all times.
What is the most hygienic solution for hand drying?
Bacteria are more likely to be transmitted via wet skin than dry skin. Therefore effective hand drying is very important in preventing the spread of infections.
There are two popular options available: hand dryers or paper towels.
There are many urban myths surrounding both with claims made for both being the most hygienic as well as the least sanitary.
One concern is that bacteria is blown throughout the washroom by hand dryers and that they are unhygienic because contact is required for some older dryers. However, the vast majority of hand dryers in operation today are touch-free/motion activated.
Paper towels also come under fire again because of the contact issue.
The most important element in hand sanitisation
Hand washing is the critical point in the hand sanitisation process. If hands are washed properly and with adequate soap and dispensers there will be no bacteria either blown about by hand dryers or retained in used paper towels.
There have been many studies carried out to measure how much bacteria remain on hands after drying with dryers and paper towels. The findings vary but it has been found consistently that proper hand washing is the most effective way of reducing and controlling bacteria, not the method of hand drying.
Benefits of hand dryers
The main advantage of hand dryers is that they always look clean within a washroom. Paper towels very often end up on the floor which is a hygiene risk in itself. Hand dryers are also more environmentally friendly than paper towels, large volumes of which end up in landfill as they can’t be recycled. Low-energy hand dryers feature in most modern washrooms and keep electricity bills down which again helps the environment. They also require very little maintenance aside from regular cleaning.
Benefits of paper towels
Some studies show that paper towel systems are more effective in reducing bacteria because they remove more water from hands than hand dryers in a shorter period of time (remember, wet hands transmit more bacteria than dry hands). Modern paper towel dispensers are touchless eliminating the need for contact which could spread bacteria.
What’s the right choice for your business?
Considering all of the above, it can still be confusing to business owners as to which hand-drying solution to provide for their staff, visitors and the public. There are many factors to consider: financial cost, servicing and maintenance, and level of hygiene provided. If you have any questions contact Wilson Washrooms for advice on the best hand washing and hand drying solutions tailored to your business.
