Transcript for film two - Hand hygiene

Introduction

Everyone's hands are covered in micro-organisms and dirt, even if they look clean. The ultraviolet light shows where dirt and bacteria could be present. These can spread to anyone or anything you touch. Washing your hands is the most effective thing you can do to reduce the spread of infection but it must be done correctly. Quickly wetting your hands isn't good enough as most micro organisms will remain.

When should you clean your hands?

You should always wash your hands at the start of your shift. Through the day you will need to assess each task you undertake and ask yourself:
What have I just done?
What am I about to do?
What are the risks?
Do I need to wash my hands?

Here are some examples. You must clean your hands:

• before and after attending every resident
• before helping to feed residents
• after helping residents to go to the toilet
• when you have come into contact with any body fluids - urine, blood, saliva faeces, vomit
• after contact with pets
• after you have been on a break
• after going to the toilet
• before handling or preparing food
• when you have taken off your single use glove
• before you leave to go home

How should you wash your hands?

Washing your hands correctly will take about 15-30 seconds

First make sure you have soap in a dispenser and paper towels. Do not use bars of soap or cotton towels as these harbour micro organisms.

• Wet your hands with warm running water using a mixer tap if possible
• Apply liquid soap from a dispenser and cover all hand surfaces
• Rub your hands palm to palm
• Rub the back of each hand with the palm of the other hand and interlace your fingers
• Rub palm to palm with fingers interlaced
• Rub the back of your fingers to the opposing palm with fingers interlocked
• Rub each thumb in turn, holding it in the opposite hand using a rotational movement
• Rub the tips of your fingers in the opposite palm in a circular motion
• Rub each wrist with the opposite hand
• Rinse your hands with running water
• Turn off taps- if you have long- handled taps use your elbow, if not use a paper towel 
• Dry your hands thoroughly with a single use paper towel.
• Dispose of the paper towel in a lined pedal bin

The ultraviolet light shows the difference when hands have been washed correctly

When can you use alcohol hand rubs?

Alcohol hand rubs are available in dispensers: some can be attached to your uniform. They will not remove dirt but they will destroy most micro organisms on clean skin. However they should not be used when looking after residents with diarrhoea because they may not be effective against these micro organisms. Alcohol hand rubs are useful when you are moving quickly between residents and access to a sink is difficult and when helping move residents from one place to another to avoid possible cross contamination.

Cleaning hands properly with an alcohol hand rub should take 15-30 seconds. 

• Apply a small amount of alcohol hand rub from a dispenser into a cupped hand
• Rub your hands together palm to palm, spreading the hand rub over the hands 
• Rub the back of each hand with the palm of the other hand and interlace your fingers
• Rub palm to palm with fingers interlaced
• Rub the back of your fingers to the opposing palm with fingers interlocked
• Rub each thumb in turn holding it in the opposite hand using a rotational movement
• Rub the tips of your fingers in the opposite palm in a circular motion
• Rub each wrist with the opposite hand
• Once your hands are dry, they're safe. Do not use paper towels.

Residents should also wash their hands after going to the toilet and before eating. You should assist them if they need help. Visitors who are involved in caring for residents should follow the same hand-washing regime as staff.

Hand cream

Use hand cream when required but only from a pump action dispenser and never from a communal jar.

Remember

• Hands are covered in micro organisms - even if they look clean
• Hand washing is the most effective thing you can do to reduce the spread of infection
• You must wash your hands correctly. This  takes 15-30 seconds 
• You must dry your hands after washing them 
• Alcohol hand rubs are useful in some situations when the hands are visibly clean. They must not be used when caring for residents with diarrhoea
  

Last reviewed: 22 July 2010