Research reveals the horrific levels of bacteria that lurk at petrol stations!
When you think about it, a lot of hands touch pump and door handles when filling up with fuel and paying afterwards. And many of those hands aren’t going to be terribly clean. Indeed, many are harbouring all sorts of unpleasant bacteria and viruses that could result in you carrying potential illness or infection back to your van or truck, according to a recent report on the National Scrap Car (NSC) website.
NSC undertook a survey of filling stations across England, expecting to recommend “disinfecting your hands after filling up”. They weren’t disappointed in their assumption that the results of swabbing petrol and diesel pumps, self-service facilities and petrol station door handles were going to be significant. In fact they were way more unpleasant than significant!
Very early on in the report, the scene is set with a so-called “spoiler” – and it couldn’t be more alarming!
“…they all contain traces of faecal matter!”
Test were carried out across the Midlands, north and south of England, with the report being broken down on a regional basis. Some of the “show stoppers” discovered in comparatively large quantities included:-
- E. coli “a strong indicator of faecal contamination”
- C. perfringens
- Faecal streptococci and enterococci
- Salmonella
- S. aureus
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Bacillus Cereus.
A director at industrial hygiene consultancy Sysco was asked for comment on the Nottinghamshire findings, especially regarding the elevated level of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Tomas Gabor was quoted as saying “A count of 1720 CFU is significantly higher than typical levels expected. Even when compared to a clean toilet seat, the levels usually sit below 100 CFU/cm².”
Mr Gabor said: “We would expect to find all the bacteria in these results on a toilet seat, but typically at low levels if it is cleaned regularly.”
Why soap and water washing is better than gels or wipes
According to the CDC in their guidance Hand Sanitizer Guidelines and Recommendations, “Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs in most situations.”
Sanitisers, gels and wipes “do not get rid of all types of germs” and “may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy” they warn.
“Soap and water are more effective than hand sanitizers at removing certain kinds of germs like norovirus, Cryptosporidium, and Clostridioides difficile, as well as chemicals.”
Conclusion
A 20 second soap and water hand wash is clearly the best way of ensuring effective hand hygiene upon returning to your vehicle. It achieves levels of cleanliness that, in many circumstances, gels and wipes cannot hope to match – especially when hands are visibly dirty.
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