Ensuring that fleet vehicles meet with health and safety regulations
Hand hygiene can be a challenge for engineers while on the road, but hand washing is a critical habit they must get in to. This is particularly important for those either handling grimy loads or working in clean sectors such as medical and catering. Both engineers and their employers need to ensure vehicles in their fleet meet with simple health and safety regulations.
Chris Whieldon, sales director at TEAL, recently explained the five reasons why commercial vehicles should put hand hygiene high on their agenda:
1) Ensure your fleet is health and safety compliant
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has long held that employees should have access to general washing facilities. Recently the law changed again to specify that all workers have the right to access washing facilities at non-domestic addresses.
However, for those dealing with both dry and wet refuse, the need to have immediate access to washing facilities is imperative. Many still will not be working in areas where there are the requisite buildings to host them. Therefore, the need for vans and other vehicles to have the capabilities to wash hands is vital.
2) Hands may look clean but can be dangerously dirty
A recent study* has found that over 200 million bacteria can be found on one hand after a trip to the toilet.
Engineers may be forced to stop for a comfort break. Supplying fleets with hand rubs or gels can fall seriously short of preventing the spread of viruses and infections.
Hand sanitisers only act as a barrier against a limited range of germs. Whereas hand washing under warm, running water with soap, remains the gold standard.
If engineers have no access to wash their hands under warm, running water with soap, they risk serious illnesses because hands will not be properly cleaned.
3) Good customer service
Engineers may be visiting customers at homes or businesses. Clean hands send a clear message to the customer – quality is delivered at all times with cleanliness and professionalism.
Dirty hands can also carry and transmit dirt and bacteria from previous jobs. Keeping hands clean and fresh not only reassures the customer of the quality of the work but will also prevent the spread of contamination and infection.
4) Working days lost due to ill health
According to the Office for National Statistics, over 137 million work days were lost to the UK economy in 2016 due to sickness and injury.
Washing hands with soap and water is proven to be the single most effective procedure in stopping the spread of germs and infection. On-board access to hand washing facilities is imperative in saving time between jobs, saving companies lost working days and, in dramatic cases, saving lives.
5) No excuse for poor hand hygiene
TEAL Patents is continually developing new solutions but it’s been working in the commercial vehicle sector – for which it has a specialist range – for over sixty years. That means every employer, who leads a peripatetic fleet workforce, should know of TEAL’s range of hot water, hand wash units which can be fitted to their vehicles.
* HSE health statistics
Effective hand washing – for all engineers on the move
Hand washing saves lives! And the TEAL range of automotive units enables any mobile workforce to be able to enjoy a hot water hand wash wherever it’s needed!
Easy to fit and maintain, they are available with 12v or 24v power supply.
The TEAL range of mobile sinks includes:-
- The TEALwash for motor vehicles »
- The Handeman Xtra for motor vehicles »
- The Compact Classic for motor vehicles »