ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Healthcare claims for cold, flu and respiratory illnesses fell by nearly a quarter in a US office where a hand hygiene programme was implemented.

Alcohol-based hand sanitisers and sanitising wipes were supplied throughout the building and at employees' desks for one group of workers while a control group were given no access to the products. Cases of reported hand hygiene-preventable illnesses fell by 24.3 per cent among the group who had access to the sanitisers.

Another result of the study was that 13.4 per cent fewer sick episodes or unscheduled time off days were reported among the employees who took part in the hand hygiene programme compared with the previous year.

The study was a collaboration between skincare manufacturer GOJO and health insurance company Medical Mutual of Ohio. GOJO's own Purell hand sanitiser and hand sanitising wipes were used in the study. The results were published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

"As a health insurance company we look for ways to help employers improve the health of their workforce," said Kathy Golovan, chief health officer and executive vice president for Medical Mutual.

"The significance of this study is that it demonstrates an immediate health solution for employers that is easy to implement, cost-effective and that employees clearly value. Employers often focus on long-term chronic diseases like diabetes, heart health and weight loss of their workforce. But short-term solutions such as a hand hygiene programme can be impactful because it can quickly improve the health and wellness of employees without economic stress to the organisation."