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Principal Adviser of Microbiology believes hand hygiene education vital for primary kids
02/11/2009
Initial Hygiene ‘Hands on Hygiene’ campaign launches in Foodsafe Week.
To mark the beginning of New Zealand’s annual Foodsafe Week, Monday 9th to Sunday 15th November, 10,000 primary students around the country will get hands on experience with hand hygiene thanks to Initial Hygiene’s ‘Hands on Hygiene’ programme.
As a Foodsafe partnership member, Initial Hygiene has launched this initiative to teach Kiwi kids about the importance of washing their hands. The nationwide programme will be rolled out to 30 schools around the country and is backed by New Zealand Food Safety Authority’s Principal Adviser of Microbiology, Dr Roger Cook.
“New Zealand deals with 200,000 cases of food-borne illnesses each year, with 40 percent occurring in the home. Something as simple as hand-washing can make a real difference in reducing these numbers,” says Dr Roger Cook.
As part of the programme, 10,000 primary school students will be given access to hand sanitiser and posters with hand-washing tips will be put up around the schools.
Other Initial Hygiene initiatives during the week to educate New Zealanders about food safety and change hand hygiene behaviours, include competitions, having Foodsafe Freddie the mascot handing out hand sanitisers , and launching an interactive website to help send home the golden rules of food safety in the home – clean, cook, cover, chill – along with the 20/20 hand washing rule.
The overall aim of Foodsafe Week is to raise awareness of food-borne illnesses, and emphasise the importance of hand hygiene by giving children tips for preventing the spread of bacteria. Involving kids in fun, interactive activities, such as the website and competitions, is great for driving the message home.
“It’s very important for children to learn about and practice good hand hygiene from a young age – especially when it comes to food. The initiatives being run throughout Foodsafe Week are a fantastic way to get people thinking about this very serious issue,” says Dr Cook.
With the hand-washing habits of the New Zealand public leaving much to be desired – one in five men and one in 10 women do not wash their hands after going to the toilet according to a national survey conducted by the Auckland Regional Public Health Service – it is crucial to get the hand washing message out there.
“We’re going back to school to teach kids how to wash their hands properly to stop the spread of diseases, and also spread the word about the 20/20 rule – washing hands with soap for 20 seconds then drying them for 20 seconds to ensure they are bacteria-free,” says Geoff Polkinghorne, General Manager of Initial Hygiene.
“Hand washing is a bit of a boring subject for kids, so we have come up with a variety of fun, interactive activities to interest and engage them – getting them excited about hand hygiene. Our ‘Hands on Hygiene’ programme is "kid friendly", and talk in their language. This programme will encourage them to remember the important points and hopefully carry on these behaviours into adulthood.”
During Foodsafe Week the Initial Hygiene team in conjunction with members of the New Zealand Foodsafe Partnership will raise awareness of food-borne illnesses and provide consumers with information on how to keep themselves and their families safe.
More information and resources can be found at initial.co.nz, or www.foodsafe.org.nz
Four simple steps to keeping hands clean:
- Wet your hands with warm running water.
- Add soap, then rub your hands together vigorously, making a soapy lather. Do this away from the running water for at least 20 seconds, being careful not to wash the lather away. Wash the front and back of your hands, as well as between your fingers and under your nails.
- Rinse your hands well under warm running water. Let the water run back into the sink, not down to your elbows.
- Dry hands thoroughly with a clean paper towel for 20 seconds. This is most important, as using paper towels after washing hands helps remove bacteria and reduces bacterial count by an average of 58%.
For more information please contact:
Anna McIntosh, annam@porternovelli.co.nz, 09 632 0536, 021 770 796
Note to editors: National Foodsafe Week is run by the New Zealand Foodsafe Partnership, which is made up of representatives from NZFSA, the food industry, and consumer groups. They work together to promote consistent and appropriate food safety messages to consumers and press home the 4Cs (Clean, Cook, Cover, Chill) and the 20+20 hand wash rule. For more information on the Partnership, visit: www.foodsafe.org.nz.
About Initial Hygiene:
Initial Hygiene is the number one commercial hygiene service provider in New Zealand and is part of the Rentokil Initial family. With five Initial Hygiene branches in New Zealand, they have been setting industry standards since the 1970s. Steady growth has been based on quality service, innovation and understanding and meeting the needs of customers. The services they provide include washroom hygiene, deep clean hygiene treatments and office hygiene services. Their experience and attention to detail makes Initial Hygiene one of the world’s leaders in the provision of quality washroom hygiene services.
Initial Hygiene New Zealand has a strong alliance with the New Zealand Food Safe Partnership, which is a coalition of industry groups, government organisations, consumer organisations and the New Zealand Food Safety Authority.
