Washing Hands Safety Tip

The superbug safety concerns that are receiving a lot of focus this fall have parents, children and school people working hard and carefully to learn the best ways to keep children safe from infection at school and elsewhere. As it turns out, at the top of almost every list of steps to take is the advice to wash hands often and correctly. The Defywire Safety Tip (on the list for January 8, 2007) is about Washing Hands. Watch the video with you children for a quick reminder that will be reinforced by seeing the actors doing the right job in the sink.

Some of the top health sources that recommend hand washing to prevent infection by antibiotic-resistent Staphylococcus and other germs are:

The Mayo Clinic: Wash your hands. In or out of the hospital, careful hand washing remains your best defense against germs. Scrub hands briskly for at least 15 seconds, then dry them with a disposable towel and use another towel to turn off the faucet. Carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer containing at least 62 percent alcohol for times when you don’t have access to soap and water.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Where you can read detailed instructions for washing your hands with soap and water, using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and when you should wash your hands.

Microbe World has an activity for kids called Caught Dirty-Handed which is a very much hands-on tutorial on the importance and methodology of hand washing.