10/08/08

Hand Hygiene Program for Children Launched

Canton, MA -October 8, 2008  Pro-Link, a jansan-focused marketing and buying group, is starting a new Hand Hygiene Program specifically designed for America’s children.

The goal of the program is to help children stay healthy by encouraging them to wash and sanitize their hands properly and more frequently.

Pro-Link’s distributors throughout the United States are now receiving program brochures and posters covering the need for proper hand hygiene and the link between hand hygiene and student wellness, performance, and attendance.    

144 Million School Days Lost Each Year

According to Mike Nelson, Pro-Link Vice President of Marketing, studies indicate as many as 144 million school days are lost each year to illness in American schools. 

“So many missed days limit our children’s learning opportunity,” he says.  “And because most germs are transmitted by hands, an effective hand washing/hand hygiene program can help alleviate this problem.”

Nelson says one reason for the problem is that soap and water and/or hand sanitizers are not always available in classrooms.  The program advises school administrators they must make it convenient for children to wash or sanitize their hands. 

“Most important, they must wash their hands more frequently and thoroughly,” Nelson adds. “Studies indicate that only 53 percent of students wash their hands after using the restroom and, even worse, less than half of them use soap.” 

Contaminated Soap Dispensers

Along with encouraging students to use warm soapy water to wash hands, vigorously rubbing them together for 20 seconds or more, rinsing and drying properly, the program notes that even proper hand hygiene methods can be defeated if the soap dispenser is contaminated.

“As many as 25 percent of refillable soap dispensers are contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria,” Nelson says.  “Factory-sealed refill cartridges eliminate this problem.”

Nelson adds that he hopes to see one of Pro-Link’s Get the Germs Before They Get You posters in every school.

For more information about Pro-Link, visit www.prolinkhq.com or call 800-74-LINKS.