“The Importance of Good Hand Hygiene: For Conscientious Employees.”
Seriously?
First things first: is that to imply some of us are not conscientious? Moi? Does anyone wake up in the morning, look in the mirror, and say, “I can’t wait to be thoughtless and intentionally spread germs today!” Second: aren’t we all adults who learned how to wash our hands in elementary school?
Because we are in the business of worksite wellness, these fliers come across our desks frequently.
Here are the directions… Wet hands, lather up, scrub all over for 15 seconds, rinse thoroughly under warm water, dry. Oh, and don’t touch the faucet or door handle right after. They always leave that part out. I am forever being caught in public restrooms performing acrobatics to shut off the water, hit the lights, and open the door for a touch less escape.
No water or soap? How about the hand sanitizer instructions: squirt and rub all over until dry.
Here’s my question… Why are we at a point when we need to be reminded about our P’s and Q’s in such remedial form? Such that we require expensive, glossy brochures waved in our faces? Are we that oblivious?
The answer? Sadly, yes. Though hand-washing after using a public restroom has increased from 77% to 85% since 2007, there are still plenty who rub their noses and then touch something I have to use!
Add in that today, at a doctor’s office, above the prominently placed Purell tank, I noted a large sign that read “for hand sanitation only.”
Really? Who did what with the sanitizer? No, wait, don’t answer that.
So there are two potential issues on the surface here. One is that we are lazy. The other is that we are poor thinkers, making poor choices.
I know lazy, believe me. I have worked with Lazy, have embodied Lazy, oh and I have three teenagers. You can’t scare me with Lazy. The truth is, when Lazy rears its head most vigorously, especially alongside its illustrious cousin Poor Thinking, it is all a ruse. Underneath is a combination of despair, overwhelming fatigue, and dear-in-the-headlights distraction. We all reach a point of either oblivion or the resolve to simply no longer care. No one is immune. The trick, with respect to others, is to take a deep breath, shake your head, and then lend the benefit of the doubt. It’s not worth the frustrated curiosity. You could channel that energy into fielding your own distractions.
The trick, with respect to yourself, is to pick your battles; and fliers with hand washing reminders are a shout out to those that matter most — both in saving time and in boosting quality of life. I mean hand sanitizer has got to be one of the simplest yet most heroic inventions for the busy parent’s efficiency toolbox in a decade. I do a little hallelujah multitasking jig every time I slather some on (as teenagers gawk with their best “you are SO not cool” sneer).
So, on the idea that we’re all doing the best we can (rather than resorting to the lazy and thoughtless argument), let’s work with what we’ve got.
I once had a colleague whose husband was a Green Mountain Boy (an Air Force fighter jet pilot). Every day when he would leave the house, just as he’d do before taking off in his billion-dollar engineering miracle of a machine, he’d run down his personal flight checklist: keys, wallet, watch, phone, wedding ring…
Used to irritate my friend a bit until he added, “kiss wife”.
Not that life should be a never ending series of checklists, but with so much competing for our attention, checking off the key reminders for what matters most in any given flight plan may keep you from taking them for granted. It’s a page from the playbook of one of our most intensely trained technicians — why not give it a try?
And, as a bonafide germaphobe, I’m asking… Add “clean hands” to the list. Hopefully, you’ll stay germ-free enough to always plant that kiss!
What’s on your “healthy today” checklist? At home or in the cockpit (work)?
Do fliers and signs help change your behavior? What else catches your attention? Let us know.