Running head: WORKPLACE SAFETY 1
The Role of Proper Hand Hygiene in Workplace Safety
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WORKPLACE SAFETY 2
WORKPLACE SAFETY: LET’S US KEEP
OUR HANDS FREE FROM GERMS AND
PROMOTE CLEANLINESS
Currently, the whole world is experiencing an
urgency to keep everyone safe from the rising
cases of the coronavirus pandemic. As a
community that values the safety of each other
in the workplace, we can learn a lot from the
importance of keeping our hands and the
surfaces we touch safe. Using the case of
COVID-19 as an example, we are encouraged
to promote cleanliness in the workplace by
ensuring that our hands are free from the deadly
virus. However, the primary intention is not to
promote the short-term need to keep our hands
clean but to create a culture that appreciates and
promotes each other's health by ensuring that
the areas surrounding us are fresh and void from
infectious or malicious germs that can cause
health-related complications (Sanderson, 2015).
We are going to start with the essential yet
crucial part of it: handwashing.
What are the dangers of unclean hands?
Figure 1: The components of a dirty and
unhealthy hand. Retrieved 23 June 2020, from
https://www.ic-ec.com/educational-materials/po
sters/item/10-proper-hand-washing-procedure
A dirty hand is the hub of germs and a potential
cause of most contagious and dangerous
infections. However, some of us may get
WORKPLACE SAFETY 3
confused or question when and why we should
wash our hands. The answers are several. CDC
notes that you should thoroughly wash your
hands (Handwashing 101, 2016):
Before, during, and after preparing food.
Before eating a meal
Before and after providing care for a
sick person
Before and after you provide first aid to
a cut or wound
After blowing your nose, sneezing or
coughing
After touching garbage
At the workplace, the benefits of a clean and
healthy hand are equally boundless.
Specifically, apart from the health benefits,
employees found promoting and encouraging
effective handwashing will experience the
following rewards:
i. Win sponsorships for being brand
ambassadors of Dettol, which comes
with exclusive benefits.
ii. Have a day-off to extend the same to
their families and friends
iii. The company also has some
exclusive gifts such as new phones
and t-shirts for enthusiasts.
These are just some of the several benefits
awaiting in store for those who will prove to
be worth rewarding. So, up your efforts in
this workplace safety activity!
The necessity of handwashing; in case you
didn't know.
By now, most of you may be wondering why
handwashing? We see people washing their
hands because they visited the washroom, want
to eat, took out office trash, or some other
reason. Yet, the question is, is cleanliness the
basis for handwashing? The answer may
surprise you. Tippin (2015) cited a 2013 study
by Carl Borchgrevink et al., an associate
professor at Michigan State University's School
of Hospitality and Business, which found that
"only 5 percent of people washed their hands
enough to kill infection and illness-causing
germs after using the bathroom. To make
matters worse, 33 percent of hand washers
didn't use soap, and 10 percent skipped [hand
washing] altogether."
Therefore, handwashing should go beyond
"keeping it clean." It should be about being safe
from the germs awaiting being transmitted into
our body and others. As Tippin (2015) noted,
"some viruses, such as the flu, can live for
several hours on surfaces such as cafeteria
tables, doorknobs, and desks. This makes proper
hand hygiene crucial." Hand washing is the
single most effective way to prevent the spread
of common infections.
What constitutes a “good” handwashing
From the beginning, we have seen the adverse
effects of not washing hands, not effectively
washing hands, and the need to wash hands.
However, the question that maybe remains
unanswered yet important is: what is a "good"
WORKPLACE SAFETY 4
handwashing practice? If we were left to answer
this question, then the answers could be both
surprising and exciting. Yet, let us focus on the
fundamentals. A "good" handwash prevents the
spread of germs and diseases (CCOHS, 2020).
With the coronavirus pandemic, people are
encouraged to wash their hands with soap and
running water because the running water
washes away the soluble parts of the virus that
has been disintegrated by the soap (Resnick,
2020).
CDC proposes five steps towards a clean and
healthy hand.
Figure 2: The five steps towards a clean and
healthy hand. Retrieved 23 June 2020, from
https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/wash
ing_hands
Step 1: Make your hands wet with clean and
running water.
Step 2: Apply soap to the wet hands after
stopping the running water
Step 3: Thoroughly lathers your hands with
soap and scrub them together for about 20
seconds.
Step 4: Using clean and running water,
thoroughly rinse your hands.
Step 5: Dry your hands using an air dryer, a
clean towel, or a paper towel.
Call for action!
The healthiness and safety of the workplace,
fellow employees, and most importantly, your
health, now rests upon the choices you make.
To think about it, Jesus says that the second
greatest commandment is to 'love your neighbor
as yourself' (Matthew 22:39). Therefore, let us
ask ourselves, are we causing others to suffer
illness because of poor sanitation and hygiene in
and around our workplace? Keep safe!
WORKPLACE SAFETY
5
References
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety (CCOHS). (2020). Hand Washing:
Reducing the Risk of Common Infections. Retrieved 23 June 2020, from
https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/washing_hands
Handwashing 101. (2016). 5 steps to properly wash your hands. Retrieved 23 June 2020,
from https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/13666-steps-to-properly-
wash-your-hands
Resnick, B. (2020). How soap absolutely annihilates the coronavirus. Retrieved 23 June
2020, from
https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2020/3/11/21173187/coronavirus-covid-19-
hand-washing-sanitizer-compared-soap-is-dope
Sanderson, S. (2015).LComputers in the medical officeL(9th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Tippin, L. (2015). Infection Prevention: The Role of Proper Hand Hygiene -- Occupational
Health & Safety. Retrieved 23 June 2020, from
https://ohsonline.com/Articles/2015/02/01/Hand-Hygiene.aspx?Page=2
