Health and Hygiene Council™ - Conseil de la santé et de l'hygièneMC - Canada
PRACTICAL HEALTH & HYGIENE TIPS

Your Health Is In Your Hands
FACT:
53 % of people worldwide still wash their hands for 10 seconds or less while the optimal hand washing time is 20 seconds.


TIPS:
When should we wash our hands?
  • Before and after handling raw food
  • Before eating or before feeding children
  • After using the toilet or changing a child's diaper
  • After handling pets and domestic animals
  • After contact with blood or body fluids
  • After coughing, sneezing, or blowing and scratching the nose
  • After contact with a potentially contaminated site
  • Before applying contact lenses
  • Before giving any medication or first aid
  • Before and after tending to someone who is sick
  • Whenever hands appear dirty
How do we wash our hands?
  • Where soap and clean water are available, follow the six-step hand washing process.
    diagram of six step hand washing process
  • Where soap and clean water are not available, alcohol-based hand rubs can be used but not if the hands are visibly dirty.
  • For more information, visit www.canadian-health-network.ca.
Source: Hygiene Council 2008: Setting the Hygiene Standards for a Healthy Home (Developed by the Hygiene Council. 2008)


WHY SHOULD WE WASH OUR HANDS?
  • The hands are the most important cause of cross contamination and cross infection in the home, the workplace, the community and daycares.
photo of hand washing


The work of the Health and Hygiene Council of Canada and The Hygiene for the 21st Century
initiative is funded through an educational grant from Reckitt Benckiser.

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