Washing Your Hands Does Save Lives, We’ve got the Proof!
The Simple Task of Washing Your Hands Does Save Lives, We’ve got the Proof
Did you know: A working adult touches 30 objects in one minute and at any given time there are 5000 germs on one hand.
Have you ever wondered how effective your hand washing skills are or if hand sanitizers really do work?
Did you know: The average cell phone is up to 10 times dirtier than a toilet seat and 30% of viruses can be readily transferred from a fingertip to a glass surface, like that on the touch screen of your mobile device.
Personal cleanliness does not end with just washing our hands. It should extend to our mobile devices (such as a cell phone or iPads), after all we touch them all day long – a lot can happen in a day! An ATP tester (ATP=Adenosine Triphosphate) which is the energy molecule found in all living things, makes a perfect indicator when trying to determine if a surface is clean or not.
October 15th marks Global Handwashing Day around healthcare organizations and this year at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, we highlighted how important it is to not only keep your hands clean — but the devices your hands touch too.
“There’s an emphasis around the world making sure that we’re preventing healthcare associated infections and hand hygiene plays a very important role," says, Anne Bialachowski, Manager, Infection Prevention and Control at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.
At St. Joe’s we used this day of awareness to show people just how dirty things can be that they touch regularly.
Click the link below as CHCH TV reporter Cindy Csordas learned more than she wanted to when she decided to bring some items in to be tested by an adenosine triphosphate (APT) tester.
Want to know why it's not a good idea to take your phone or smart device to the bathroom with you? CBC Hamilton's Adam Carter talks to Anne Bialachowski, Manager, Infection Prevention and Control at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.
Learn more about how hand hygiene saves lives by following the hashtag #WorldHandHygieneDay on Twitter.