Take control of poor hand drying

The 'Take Control of Poor Hand Drying' campaign urges food manufacturers and food service suppliers to use paper towels for hand drying. They are more effective and hygienic than the alternatives, which increase health risks by spreading bacteria in the factory environment and could increase the risk of contamination which could in turn lead to loss of reputation and, in the worst case, even lead to an operating licence being revoked.

The campaign has been prompted by recent scientific research by the University of Westminster in England[1]. The research showed that the use of electric dryers could dramatically increase levels of bacteria on subjects' hands. The increase averages 254% for warm-air dryers. The research also showed paper towels reduce the number of bacteria on hands by an average of 77%.

Researchers discovered that electric hand dryers can blow bacteria a significant distance across a washroom - up to 2m when a jet air dryer is used. Paper towels showed no significant spread of bacteria.

The university's study findings confirm a growing understanding that how people dry their hands is a fundamental aspect of the hand-cleaning process. Furthermore, the World Health Organisation now recommends single-use towels for good overall hand hygiene[2].

Results 'a surprise to many'

'The results of the University study will come as a surprise to many people,' says Richard Millard, category manager at Kimberly-Clark Professional* in the United Kingdom. 'Electric hand dryers are often presented as the most hygienic option. The reality, however, could not be more different. People could be spreading harmful bacteria by using air dryers.'

'That's why our campaign is so important. Good hand hygiene reduces the threat of contamination in the air and on surfaces in factories and restaurants. Yet there are still some food manufacturers and food service suppliers using less hygienic systems, such as air dryers and even pull-down linen towels.'

'It's easy to understand. Perhaps they think emptying a bin full of used paper towels is a hassle they can do without or maybe they are tied into a contract and feel that finding a new system would be expensive and time consuming. Either way, companies in the food-manufacturing and food services sectors are failing to understand that their choice of hand-drying method could be a serious mistake.'

Undesirable consequences

'Air dryers can result in queues, which in turn may lead to reduced productivity. Linen towels, meanwhile, are not single-use and therefore harbour bacteria for long periods before they are washed. Poor hygiene can raise staff sickness levels and could contaminate the factory and restaurant environments, both of which have a major direct effect on a company's efficiency and profitability.'

(Image: James Twisleton, via Wikimedia Commons)

Some businesses shun paper towels because they worry they are more harmful to the environment than other hand-drying methods. Richard Millard points out that his company has taken steps to address the issue.

Providing examples, he says the company sources raw materials from renewable resources and aims to continually find innovative ways to minimise energy usage, water usage and waste, to help minimise the company's environmental impact at every single stage of its products' life cycle.

The average recycled fibre content in all Kimberly-Clark Professional* paper-towel products is claimed to be as high as 80%.

More information at www.kcpreducetoday.com/za.

'The use of our paper-towel products means food manufacturers no longer need to compromise,' says Millard. 'Our paper-towels offer excellent performance, are produced with care for the environment, and above all will help companies in the food-processing and food services sectors maintain a very high standard of hand hygiene.'

View the video.

References:

[1] A comparative study of different hand drying methods: paper towel, warm air dryer, Dyson Airblade dryer; by Keith Redway & Shameem Fawdar, School of Biosciences, University of Westminster, London (2008-09)
[2] WHO guidelines on hand hygiene in health care (advanced draft): A summary, 2005, pp18-19

Notes:

[1] A comparative study of three different hand drying methods: paper towel, warm air dryer, Dyson Airblade dryer was conducted by Keith Redway and Shameem Fawdar of the School of Biosciences, University of Westminster, London, in November 2008.

Researchers compared levels of bacteria on subjects' palms and fingerpads before and after they had washed them and then dried them in a public washroom using a paper towel, a traditional warm air dryer or a new-style jet air dryer.

Results indicated that:

• After washing and drying hands with the warm air dryer, the total number of bacteria were found to have increased on average on the palms by 254% and on the fingerpads by 194%
  
• After washing and drying hands with the jet air dryer, the total number of bacteria were found to have increased on average on the palms by 15% and on the fingerpads by 42%
  
• After washing and drying hands with a paper towel, the total number of bacteria were found to have reduced on average on the palms by 77% and on the fingerpads by 76%
  
• The jet air dryer was capable of blowing micro-organisms from the hands and the unit and potentially contaminating other washroom users and the washroom environment up to 2m away
  
• Use of a warm-air hand dryer spread micro-organisms up to 0,25m from the dryer
  
• Paper towels showed no significant spread of micro-organisms.

[2] The Kimberly-Clark Professional* 'Take Control of Poor Hand Drying' campaign is a pan-European initiative designed to highlight the message that, compared with other systems, paper towels are the most hygienic and effective means of hand drying and enjoy the highest levels of user acceptance. The campaign will target a range of business sectors and key decision makers and stakeholders in the cleaning and hygiene industry, using a variety of media.