News Details

Campaign emphasizes importance of washing your hands

August 26, 2014

SOLANO COUNTY – Making hand washing a habit is the single most important thing you can do to prevent yourself from getting sick or making others sick.

Solano County's Department of Resource Management, Environmental Health Division, will reinforce that message with an informational campaign starting this September as part of National Food Safety Education Month and International Clean Hands Week (Sept. 21 -27, 2014).

The campaign targets employees who work in the more than 400 restaurants and other food facilities across the county.  In addition to employees, health officials will also point out the importance of hand-washing for everyone.

"Hand washing is important for food safety, disease prevention and personal health," said Joyce Benefield, Senior Environmental Health Specialist. “Reducing food-borne illness by just 1 percent would prevent more than 500,000 Americans from getting sick each year.”

The Centers for Disease Control estimates one out of six Americans, or 48 million people, get sick each year as a result of inadequate hand washing.  Of these people, about 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die from food-borne illnesses.  There is a direct link to poor hand washing in many of these deaths.

During September, Environmental Health staff will conduct inspections at hundreds of food facilities to assess their compliance with food safety requirements related to hand washing.  Businesses will receive certificates of recognition for demonstrating safe hand-washing techniques and practices.

“Solano County has a proactive environmental health program that supports local food facilities concerned about providing good, safe food to their customers,” Benefield says.  “This campaign reinforces the importance of keeping up the good hand washing habits.”

The proper procedure for washing your hands is to use soap and water, scrub for at least 20 seconds, rinse and dry. Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce germs. If soap and water is not available, use a hand sanitizer.

Hands do not have to look dirty to require a good washing.  Hands should be washed:
-- Before, during and after preparing food
-- Before eating
-- Before and after caring for someone who is sick
-- Before and after treating a wound or cut
-- After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
-- After handling diapers
-- After handling garbage
-- After touching animals or pet food
-- After touching surfaces that are frequently touched by other people, such as door knobs
-- After using the toilet or helping a child use the toilet