Handwashing on the go has become pivotal, We've created a guide for the best use cases and set-up for your operations.
We’re living in an era of increased importance when it comes to sanitation. According to the Center for Disease Control, we know the coronavirus and the subsequent COVID-19 disease it causes is spread mainly through people-to-people contact. This means people who are within six feet of one another are at risk of transmitting the virus. Because it’s transferred through respiratory droplets that are produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, it’s also critical that we wash our hands.
According to the CDC, the best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus. This means staying at least six feet away from strangers. It means covering your nose, mouth, and eyes from potential droplets that are created by coughs and sneezes. And it means washing our hands. The CDC recommends washing hands often, with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds during each hand-washing session. This is especially important after being in a public place or after personally blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
With the Need to Wash Hands Comes the Need for Places to Wash
As we’ll likely see over the coming months and even years, our lives are going to change. Some changes will likely and hopefully be more short-lived, such as the need to shelter in place, while others might be around permanently. One of those changes we’ll likely see is a lasting increase in the frequency with which we wash our hands. With some of the coming changes, we’ll also need modifications in the infrastructure to support those changes. This will likely be true with handwashing.
We live in a mobile world. Well, at least we’ll all return to a mobile world at some point soon. Whether it’s a county fair, a concert, or even a temporary medical facility as we deal with the current crisis, handwashing stations are and will become more important to maintain our lifestyles. Even before the coronavirus, it was often difficult for operators like food trucks to maintain required sanitation and hygiene standards within the confines of their operations, and this is where handwashing stations can also be of benefit. Mobile hand washing stations from Lakeside can be set up just about anywhere. A water hook-up isn’t even necessary, as they all come standard with a tank made to be refilled with water. Both hot and cold water units are also available.
Handwashing Tips by Operation Type:
K-12 Schools: Place handwashing stations by grab & go pick-up lines and serving stations for students, parents, and staff to use near entrances. In many cases today, curbside meal pickups are frequent, and you can even run extension cords out to the street. Use a Lakeside dolly or two-shelf utility cart to hold extra water tanks.
Hospitals: Place stations at the entrances to the cafeterias to encourage handwashing best practices. Add signage with lyrics to a fun song so people know how long 20 seconds really is. Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…
Senior Care: Handwashing stations should be prevalent in senior care communities. Place them in hallways for staff to use between rooms when sanitizer may be scarce or non-available. Remember, hand sanitizer does not work as well as hand washing.
Handwashing Stations
Even if your staff is well-trained, they can’t operate at the highest level without the right equipment. We’ve picked out some personalized solutions that help foodservice directors manage their responsibilities and optimize your meal service experience.
