Most people working in the food service industry do not have the habit of washing their hands after using the restroom! According to health experts, 7 out of 10 cases of food poisoning are related to dirty hands.
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Washing hands properly is a measure to prevent disease transmission to patients and healthcare workers (Photo: fmponline) |
Professor Tran Dang, Director of the Food Safety Department, stated that 70% of food poisoning cases are related to dirty hands. If not kept clean, hands can carry bacteria, harmful chemicals from the environment, and other contaminants from regular contact.
In recent years, there have been four cases of food poisoning from sticky rice cakes (affecting 600 people) caused by dirty hands. A street vendor selling noodle soup in front of an elementary school caused food poisoning twice due to the vendor using dirty hands to handle food.
A food processing facility supplying meals to a footwear and garment export company in the south caused food poisoning among workers at both facilities. Investigations revealed that the meat cutter at this facility had a finger infection (a symptom of infection at the fingertips). Due to poor hygiene, the wound contaminated the food, leading to poisoning in those who consumed it.
Quick tests of hand samples also showed that most food service workers do not have the habit of washing their hands after using the restroom. Habitual behaviors such as scratching, touching hair, nose, and other parts of the body can also lead to contamination and the spread of pathogens.
Healthcare Workers Must Also Learn… to Wash Hands
Not only is hand hygiene important for food vendors and processors, but it is also crucial for healthcare workers. Experts in this field emphasize that proper handwashing techniques are necessary.
Surgical doctors performing operations on patients must wash their hands following very strict procedures before surgery: applying iodine alcohol to trimmed fingernails, scrubbing hands with a brush and disinfectant solution; after a few minutes, scrubbing hands again with a clean brush, and then soaking hands in alcohol before surgery can commence.
A hospital director mentioned: “If hands are not washed properly, it can increase the risk of infection at the surgical site.”
In reality, inspection results regarding hand hygiene in hospitals show that 10% of hands still harbor bacteria after washing. It cannot be assumed that sterilized gloves provide absolute protection, as gloves can tear during surgery.
Proper handwashing is also a preventive measure against disease transmission to patients and healthcare workers. However, according to the Department of Treatment, current hospital infection control practices have many shortcomings: most nursing staff have not been trained in hospital hygiene, leading to improper sanitation procedures.
Common practices such as dry sweeping, using one mop to clean multiple patient rooms, and not washing mops thoroughly after cleaning are still prevalent. Incorrect hygiene practices contribute to the spread of microorganisms in hospitals and increase the risk of infections.
