Avian Influenza Hygiene

Prevention Practices

Hand Hygiene

Hand washing is the most important way to reduce the spread of the common cold, flu and other infections. Hand washing not only protects you from illness, but also helps protect everyone you come in contact with.

Hands are the most exposed part of the body to germs and the most common vehicle for transmitting infections and germs. Touching the eyes, mouth, nose or food transfers the germs into the body. To really work, hand washing must be done frequently and properly. Use an alcohol-based sanitizer when your hands are not visibly soiled. Wash your hands with soap and water when your hands are visibly soiled.

Downloand and print Hand Hygiene with Soap and Water (pdf)

Hand Hygiene with Soap and Water
1. Remove jewelry. Wet hands with warm water.	2. Add soap to palms.	3. Rub hands together to create lather.
4. Cover all surfaces of the hands and fingers.	5. Clean knuckles, back of hands and fingers.	6. Clean the space between the thumb and index finger.
7. Work the fingertips into the palms to clean under the nails.	8. Rinse well under warm running water.	9. Dry with a single towel and then use towel to turn off water tap.
Minimum wash time 10-20 seconds

Source :The Government of New Zealand's Business Continuity Planning Guide, 2005

Downloand and print Hand Hygiene with Alcohol-based Hand Sanitizer (pdf)

Hand Hygiene with Alcohol-based Hand Sanitizer
1. Remove jewelry. Apply enough product to open palms.**	2. Rub hands together palms to palms.	3. Rub in between and around fingers.
4. Cover all surfaces of the hands and fingers.	5. Rub backs of hands and fingers. Rub each thumb.	6. Rub fingertips of each hand in opposite palm.
7. Keep rubbing until hands are dry. **The volume of sanitizer required to be effective varies from product to product. Enough sanitizer to keep hands moist for 15 second should be applied. Do not use these products with water. Do not use paper towels to dry hands.
Note: Wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty or contaminated with blood or other body fluids. Certain manufacturers recommend washing hands with soap and water after 5-10 application of sanitizer.

Source :The Government of New Zealand's Business Continuity Planning Guide, 2005

Clean Harbors provides the information contained herein solely for the purpose of keeping its employees, customers and others informed of the measures Clean Harbors is taking to respond to an outbreak of avian flu and provide potential sources of additional information about the disease. This communication should not be misconstrued or relied upon as a source for medical advice or as the resource for providing official government directives concerning the disease. Readers should access the official web pages of government agencies, some of which are listed herein as sources for Informaton about avian flu as well as other sources which may not be listed herein, as the official government source(s) for information on any outbreak of the disease. Clean Harbors will periodically update its information as it deems appropriate but is under no obligation to do so and cautions readers not to rely solely upon this web page as your sole source for information about the disease and its impact on individuals and organizations beyond Clean Harbors.