Safe at Work’ toolkit launched to help front-line

Tork launches ‘Safe at Work’ toolkit to help front-line workers

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated 2020 as the ‘Year of the Nurse and Midwife’. This year also marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of the founding figures for modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, who implemented handwashing practices in the war hospital in which she worked, reducing infections.

In the years that have passed, hand hygiene has remained a crucial protection against the spread of viruses. Proper hand-hygiene techniques can remove viruses on your hands and are therefore considered one of the most important methods of preventing more people from falling ill.

The Safe at Work: COVID-19 Healthcare Toolkit from Tork aims to support workers on the front line fighting against COVID-19, such as healthcare professionals, cleaners and environmental services (EVS) staff by providing resources that contribute to boosting overall hygiene.

Essity Marketing Director Tom Bergin said: “According to the WHO, clean hands are key for healthcare professionals to stop the spread of diseases and infections, meaning clean hands really make all the difference. As an act of appreciation, we have launched the Safe at Work: COVID-19 Healthcare Toolkit. We want to support healthcare professionals in these extremely challenging times”.

In the toolkit, healthcare professionals, cleaners and EVS staff can find training in proper handwashing and hand-sanitising procedure as well as downloadable instruction posters. According to a global study among healthcare professionals, one of the most common complaints from healthcare professionals regarding their hand-hygiene training is that it is too theoretical (21%). For a more hands-on approach, the Tork VR Clean Hands training app can help refresh hand-hygiene training for all. Information on how to use this free app can be found in the toolkit.

“The people at the front line, be it nurses, doctors, cleaners or environmental service staff, are all doing incredible work. As a provider of professional hygiene products and services, we are happy to provide the Safe at Work: COVID-19 Healthcare Toolkit. This is one way, among many others, for us to support healthcare professionals so they can protect themselves and their patients in these critical times”, concludes Bergin.

The new Safe at Work toolkit is available for free and can be accessed by everyone at: https:// www.tork.co.za/torkcampaigns/corona-virus

For additional information contact Kirsty Collard: kirsty.collard@essity.com