Blog, Food preparation, General news
Hand washing with soap and water is essential at festivals
Jul
Even when facilities are available, people often don’t use them says report
With the festival season in full swing and people generally enjoying the outdoor life, in what we hope will be a reasonably good summer, it’s often tempting to making hand washing a lower priority on a temporary basis. Campsites often have reasonably good washing facilities, but festivals, owing to the sheer number of people present – and sometimes a lack of hand washing opportunities – visitors can sometimes resort to the “back up” of wet wipes. This doesn’t however, provide even a barely adequate level of hand hygiene, especially when hands are visibly dirty.
A recent Liverpool Echo article, which focused on the need for soap and water hand washing at festivals, quoted microbiologist Dr Joe Latimer.
“We don’t have to be super-sterile, but dare to venture to the toilet block? Wash your hands. About to sample the wonderful food on offer? Wash your hands. About to get creative with the festival makeup and glitter? Wash your hands.”
One in five don’t wash their hands at festivals at all!
Twenty percent of eighteen to twenty four years olds at festivals don’t even wash their hands at all during a festival visit, according to a report on The Conversation website. A slightly stomach-churning statistic if ever there was one!
Article co-authors Judith Dyson and Fiona Cowdell acknowledge that “peeing in a cup” and “using wet wipes as a shower substitute” are commonplace experiences during these often muddy and wet experiences. Even having your face “caked in the same glitter” for days on end…
The report does issue a stern warning to everyone who finds themselves in this sometimes all-too-familiar situation. And it involves good old-fashioned soap and water.
“…there’s one rule that you must follow if you want your festival experience to be as fun as possible: wash your hands regularly.”
This advice has been issued as a result of the aforementioned statistics that reveal an alarming lack of effective hand washing, which get even worse on further investigation. 26% washing once a day. 31% not even washing after visit to the toilet.
Dyson and Cowdell write that sometimes a lack – or perceived lack – of suitable facilities is stated as a reason for poor hand hygiene.
“Most participants suggested their lack of hand hygiene was due to queues for facilities – or a lack of facilities.”
They nonetheless quote a report that states that even when facilities are provided in sufficient quantities, only fifty one percent of people wash after going to the toilet.
Take hand washing facilities with you!
There’s no reason why you can’t keep a Handeman Xtra portable hand washing unit in your tent. It’s easy to carry. Just fill it up with water and it will enable you to have fifteen washes per filling. The bowl contains the dirty water: just tip it away when washing has finished!
One in five 18- to 24-year-olds don’t wash their hands at festivals »
Take a mobile hand washing unit with you – wherever you go!
Teal portable hand wash units are available to hire or buy – and they can be situated anywhere they’re needed!
Teal produces an incredible range of mobile sinks and portable basins for every type of hand washing situation for use by anyone who needs to wash their hands effectively, whether they’re in an office environment, temporary accommodation or out in the field on a daily basis.
Optional paper towel holders and soap holders are available for units across the range.
There are vehicle mounted, wall mounted, mains powered and free standing hand wash stations as well as mobile sinks for use with pre-heated hot water.
The Teal range of mobile sinks includes the MediWash, Hygienius and Hygienius ProWash, BigSynk, Super Stallette, TEALwash, Handeman Xtra, Compact Classic and WashStand – and now the new HandSpa.