Children, especially young ones, have long been suspected of spreading germs more than adults. As schools all over Europe now are reopening their doors, we discuss the hygiene precautions needed to take such a step safely.
Coronavirus has changed everyday routines at schools
Coronavirus has changed everyday life at schools considerably. Extensive hygiene measures must be implemented to keep the risk of an infection as low as possible. This includes, for example, wearing a face masks when entering or leaving school.
In the classrooms, tables and chairs have been moved apart in order to keep a certain distance from each other. In addition, windows have to be opened regularly during breaks and tables, chairs and objects that are used by different pupils have to be disinfected again and again. Also, classrooms and other facilities such as toilets have to be cleaned more often.
Hygiene at school: cleaning hands is so important
A good hand cleaning routine at school is also extremely important. According to the World Health Organization, up to 80 percent of infectious diseases are transmitted by the hands. Regular hand washing with soap rinses off pathogens reliably, but often especially children wash their hands too quickly and too rarely.
Washing hands should take at least 20 seconds, and it is only effective if the fingertips and the nails and the spaces between the fingers are cleaned, too. In schools where pupils do not always have the opportunity to clean their hands under running water at any time, hand sanitising is the ideal supplement to hand washing. It can be practiced quickly and whenever necessary, reducing the germ load in schools.
What must be kept in mind when sanitising hands?
It’s important to remember that enough sanitiser should be used to cover the hands, and they should be rubbed until they are dry. Pupils should be made aware of this by their teachers.
It is also important to position dispensers for hand sanitising in places where many children or teachers meet and many objects are touched by different hands:
- At entrances and exits
- Next to the door of classrooms
- In toilet facilities next to the door
- Next to all doors within the administration building, the teachers' room and in libraries
Good hygiene in schools is only possible with the correct placement of hand cleaning solutions. This can significantly reduce the risk of transmitting pathogens.
Downloads____________________________________________________________
Download our checklist for better hygiene standards at schools here.
Here you can find a plan for the perfect placement of hand disinfectant dispensers and disinfecting wipes at schools.
