World Hand Hygiene Day: Save Lives – Always Clean Your Hands

It’s World Hand Hygiene Day today and Southern DHB is encouraging healthcare staff and members of the public to help save lives by always cleaning their hands.

“Hand hygiene isn’t just important in the hospital. It helps stop the spread of germs at home, at school and in the workplace. Effective hand washing and drying is the best way to reduce infections,” says Southern DHB Infection, Prevention and Control Charge Nurse Manager, Jo Stodart.

Infection Prevention Control Clinical Nurse Specialist, Mike O’Brien and Infection, Prevention and Control Charge Nurse Manager, Jo Stodart

Photo of Infection Prevention Control Clinical Nurse Specialist, Mike O’Brien and Infection, Prevention and Control Charge Nurse Manager, Jo Stodart.

This message has been loudly echoed over the past five weeks as the country has fought to stop the spread of the new COVID-19 virus. Washing your hands is one of the main preventative messages the Ministry of Health have been promoting to stop the spread and keep people safe.

Good hand hygiene breaks the cycle of infection and this is important with the current COVID-19 pandemic as transmission can be by contact of surfaces or objects and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes.

“Our message is to wash your hands often and in the correct way, and encourage everyone around you to do the same. We also encourage patients and whānau to ask their health care worker to clean their hands - it’s their right.

“There are so many times it is crucial for you to clean your hands and in these COVID times you also need to be thinking about when you are outside your “bubble” and you return home, cleansing your hands before touching anything. If you are an essential worker, cleaning your hands on arrival at work and before you leave so you don’t transfer germs between properties,” says Jo.

How to Clean Your Hands

Using soap and water

1. Wet hands using warm water

2.  Add soap to make lather

3. Rub palms, back of hands, and between fingers

4.  Rub for at least 15 seconds

5.  Rinse hands and dry well

When to wash our hands

We should wash our hands regularly each day, particularly:

• Before eating or touching food
• After using the toilet
• After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
• After touching animals
• After handling rubbish
• After changing a nappy
• Before and after touching a sick or injured person

Remember it’s very important to dry your hands well as virus / bacteria like damp places to live.

Cover cuts and abrasions and moisturise your hands as well to stop skin drying out.

For further information, please contact:
Southern DHB Communications Advisor Pauline Chin