Importance of Hand Hygiene

There’s a reason the signs read, “Employees must wash their hands before returning to work,” and not, “Employees should wash their hands before returning to work.”

Good hand hygiene is crucial to avoid the spread of germs and infection.

“It’s the number one thing you can do to avoid getting sick or getting others sick,” says Chris Silkaitis, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC, Northwestern Medicine director of Healthcare Epidemiology and Infection Prevention. “It’s so easy to do, yet so easy to miss.”

What sort of bacteria and viruses can your hands spread?

Just about everything.

“From the common cold, to influenza, to multi-drug-resistant strains of bacteria, your hands spread everything,” says Silkaitis. “That’s why hand hygiene is so important for everyone.”