WASH WELL . . . infection control manager Elaine Rosswith infection control nurse Ross Darley and volunteer Jackie Machling from the public involvement group
You can find out this week if you are doing it right at a special event in Dumfries on Thursdsay to mark World Hand Hygiene Day.
Infection control experts from NHS Dumfries and Galloway will be in the Loreburne Centre from 10 am to 3 pm assessing hand cleanliness with a UV lightbox which shows up all the leftover dirt.
They will also be proudly carrying the Infection Prevention Society’s torch which starts the Scotland leg of its nationwide tour in Dumfries this week. The tour aims to raise awareness of hand hygiene with the message – spread the message, not the bugs.
NHS infection control manager Elaine Ross said: “Hand hygiene is the single most important step anyone can take to prevent infection.
Hand hygiene is important for everyone at home or in healthcare. We all pick up bugs from things we touch and if we don’t clean hands before we eat or touch any break in the skin, we risk of infection.”
Urging better washing, she added: “We are approaching the time of year what we hope people will enjoy the lovely area we live in through picnicking, barbecuing and enjoying the outdoors, so this seems like a good time to raise awareness.”
And she’s challenging readers to do their bit for World Hand Hygiene Day: just follow the six steps of hand washing (see below), then take a snap of your lovely clean hands and post it on the NHS’s Facebook Page or Twitter feed under #D&GSafeHands.
