C&M
HEALTHCARE & HOSPITAL HYGIENE
The vital healthcare ingredient During the global pandemic it has become more important than ever to keep hospitals clean and germ-free. Liam Mynes from Tork manufacturer Essity considers the importance of training in ensuring these outcomes. CLEANING and hand hygiene are vital in any healthcare setting. Cleaning operatives have a duty of care to keep the floors and surfaces sanitised, while medical staff need to ensure that their hands remain clean and virus-free to avoid the risk of cross-contamination. But while hand hygiene and surface cleaning are both relatively straightforward tasks, many healthcare workers are still getting them wrong. Staff members can all too easily miss an important step in the process - particularly if they have received inadequate training or are in a hurry to move on to the next job. Not every medical worker will be washing their
healthcare workers globally fail to practise hand
A recent study carried out by United Minds on
hands frequently enough or in the right way, for
hygiene on a regular basis. Healthcare staff and
behalf of Essity revealed that 80% of healthcare
example. And overstretched cleaning operatives
hospital cleaning operatives therefore need to
professionals wanted to improve their hand
might inadvertently neglect some hospital
fully understand the protocols of cleaning and
hygiene compliance but added that they found
surfaces or use the same cleaning cloth for
hand hygiene. And they also need to be aware of
most traditional training modules uninspiring.
multiple applications, a practice that could lead
what they are doing and why. This is why training
Around 60% of the 1000-plus staff members
to cross-contamination.
is so vital in a hospital - both for hand hygiene
polled said they would also like hand hygiene
and surface cleaning.
to be given a higher priority in their unit. A total
The cleaning team is at the sharp end of hospital hygiene and it is their responsibility to
Cleaning operatives should be taught how to
of 98% considered hand hygiene to be a very
ensure that all surfaces are kept sanitised and
sanitise all patient areas in the most logical and
important element of their daily work while 40%
germ-free. But hospital cleaning operatives
hygienic way possible. They should understand
called for better hand hygiene training. And a
need few qualifications for their role. According
the order in which surfaces should be cleaned
third of all workers expressed dissatisfaction with
to the NHS website, domestic service assistants
plus the importance of using different cloths for
the current levels of training on offer.
merely need to be physically fit, capable
each task to avoid cross-contamination. And all
of following instructions and able to work
training should be easy to understand, intuitive
scope of our hand hygiene training and made
unsupervised. They must also be able to pay
and take into account the fact that English may
Tork Clean Hands Training - previously only
attention to detail, work as part of a team and
not be their first language.
available with the use of a virtual reality headset
take responsibility for their own work.
Essity has now launched an interactive
At Essity we have now broadened the
- accessible free of charge online via any
training and support package aimed at
electronic device. The training invites users into
to work towards a qualification, such as an NVQ in
healthcare cleaning operatives and facility
a digital world where they are confronted with
cleaning. But it is all too easy for standards to slip
managers. Tork Interactive Clean Hospital
a series of scenarios where hand hygiene needs
during a busy cleaning shift, just as it is entirely
Training takes staff through various real-
to be carried out. Developed in collaboration
possible for a hard-pressed healthcare worker to
world cleaning scenarios in an engaging way.
with behavioural scientists and hand hygiene
forget to wash his or her thumbs or the backs of
The training takes place in a virtual hospital
experts, the course aims to provide hand
their hands during a routine hand wash.
and incorporates modules on daily cleaning
hygiene guidance in an engaging way.
They are trained on the job and are encouraged
The advice from the World Health
in occupied patient rooms plus discharge
The use of posters and stickers reminding
Organisation is that healthcare staff should wash
cleaning protocols. Each module is focused
healthcare staff to wash their hands and providing
their hands before touching a patient, before
on learning by doing and is available in more
instructions on how to do this will help to support
carrying out any aseptic procedure and after
than 15 languages besides English. And an
their efforts. And of course, it is important that
exposure to body fluids. Hand washing should
accompanying ‘train-the-trainer’ module
they are supplied with user-friendly products to
also take place after touching a patient or coming
instructs facility and contract cleaning
be able to comfortably wash and dry their hands.
into contact with a patient’s surroundings. And
managers on how to support their teams and
Frequent and thorough hand washing is essential
the whole washing and drying process should
demonstrate optimum cleaning techniques.
for healthcare workers, but skin irritations and
Hand hygiene, like cleaning, can also be
dermatitis are both associated with repeated
take between 40 and 60 seconds to ensure a thorough cleanse. According to the WHO’s Clean
taught. In fact, studies show that healthcare staff
washing and drying. This means that all soaps and
Hands 2020 campaign, however, around 70% of
would actually like more instruction in this field.
hand towels should be soft and skin-friendly. For
20 OCTOBER 2021
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