Proper Hand Washing Procedure

PROPER HAND WASHING PROCEDURE

HAND WASHING: PROTECTS HEALTH AND PREVENTS DISEASE

"Hand washing is the single most important means of preventing the spread of infection." -U.S. Center for Disease Control

Remember to Wash Hands

Use warm running water and soap.

1. Wet

Wet hands first

3. Soap/Lather

Lather well beyond wrist.

5. Rinse

Thoroughly rinse with clean water. Be sure not to touch side of sink.

WHEN SHOULD HANDS BE WASHED?


*	After touching ears, nose,mouth, hair.
*	Any contact with infected or otherwise unsanitary areas of the body.
*	After use of handkerchief or tissue.
*	Hand contact with unclean equipment or work surfaces.
*	Hand contact with soiled clothing, shop rags, or any other material that is soiled.
*	Handling raw food - partially cooked meat or poultry.
*	Handling money.
*	Eating
*	After using the restroom.

As frequent as hands are
thought to need it.

2. Soap

Use soap preferably anti-bacterial.

hand-2.gif (2901 bytes) 4. Wash

Work all surfaces thoroughly including wrists, palms, back of hands, fingers, and under fingernails - Rub hands together for at least 15-20 seconds.

dry_1.gif (1969 bytes) 6. Dry

Dry hands completely use towel to turn off water and protect hands from resoiling.

Hand Washing Facts:

Fact #1 68% of the population washes their hands after using the restroom.
Fact #2 Nosocomial infection (infections caught while in health care facilities) contribute to 100,000 deaths annually. One of the major reasons is the breakdown of the hand washings.
Fact #3 Food poisoning cause 9,000 deaths annually. The key to food protection is hand washing!