Recommendations for good hygiene in manufacturing

Every day workers are potentially exposed to contaminants and conditions that can be harmful to their skin, for example chemicals, mechanical oils, greases and even hot and cold conditions.

Hygiene, and hand hygiene in particular, is vital in the manufacturing sector to ensure public health is protected as well as ensuring product quality. Besides occupational skin disorders such as work-related eczema, poor hygiene can cause higher levels of absenteeism and presenteeism, which can disrupt shifts and workflow.

With approximately 80% of common infections being transmitted by hand, it is essential for manufacturing businesses to have good hand hygiene practices.

The standards of bathrooms within manufacturing sites often vary between the office and factory floor. The office bathrooms need to safeguard the business image, while the bathrooms in the manufacturing facility should be clean and provide the right provisions for employees using them in this area.

A survey by Initial Hygiene revealed that 73% of workers surveyed dislike a messy bathroom and 3 in 5 workers claim bathroom hygiene affect their productivity. This means that bathroom cleanliness and hygiene need to be tip-top to be welcoming for both visitors and staff.

• Implement a rigorous cleaning schedule based on peak traffic times to ensure bathrooms are always clean.
• Ensure bathrooms are well-stocked and that hygiene essentials such as hand soap and paper towels are always available.
• Keep it smelling fresh — bad smells can be a deterrent for people using the bathroom and is often a reason cited for not washing their hands properly.
• Consider hands free, sensor solutions to encourage proper hand washing prior to returning to the production line.

Encourage good hand hygiene habits to keep your employees' hands clean and hygienic with a simple 3-step process.

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Dry your hands completely with paper towel or an electric hand dryer
• Sanitise your hands with hand sanitiser to complete the routine

The reception is an important reflection of your company as it is often the first point of contact for customers and suppliers. Ensure your entrance and reception area is well maintained to welcome your visitors into a clean and hygienic environment. Surfaces such as reception counters and door handles which are touched often and by a large number of people harbour bacteria which can cause skin infections, food poisoning and respiratory diseases.

• Employees and visitors can track contamination into the building on their shoes. Floor mats will absorb dirt and water and prevent this being tracked through the building.
• Make hand sanitisers available in reception areas to help elevate hygiene standards
• Display certificates of hygiene and pest control audits for customers and suppliers' peace of mind.

Communal areas where employees gather are great spaces to build hygiene awareness and to promote a cleaner, safer workplace.

• Use posters to highlight the consequences of poor hygiene practices and the potential cost impact to the business.
• Scenting can help control and remediate bad smells that may derive from malodour-producing bacteria in breakout areas.
• Provide hand sanitisers to support better hand hygiene standards

Germs can remain on surfaces such as production lines for up to 48 hours and can increase the risk of cross-contamination from surfaces to hands.

Take care to reduce the risk of cross contamination by having a thorough cleaning regime in place as well as providing hand washing stations where necessary.

• A no food or drink policy should be introduced and implemented in production, storage and packaging areas.
• Pay particular attention to employees' personal hygiene and to the hygiene of the premises and equipment.
• Waste management plans should be in place to ensure regular waste disposal to minimise the risk of pests.

A recent study by Initial found that 49% of office workers sometimes or always eat at their desks. The potential for cross-contamination is high as germs from the bathroom are spread by contaminated hands and transferred to desks, office equipment and food.

• Ensure desks and computer workstations are cleaned regularly. Shared desks are often neglected and can have a build-up of germs and contamination.
• Clean and regularly disinfect all surfaces to reduce the risk of cross-contamination via contact with food.
• Install hand sanitisers in locations of high footfall and common use
• Improve ventilation and air conditioning, especially if offices and meeting rooms are located near to production lines which release gas or odours.