It is relatively simpler to keep a short leash on everyone in your home regarding the spread of germs, than it is to monitor the many people that come into your work environment. Whether your facility is a large or small one, your best bet is to provide simple and effective preventive measures against germs and diseases. A wall mounted hand sanitizer is the perfect solution to prevent possible transfer of germs, particularly for the workplace.
Apart from floor decals, face masks and sneeze guards, one of the common ways to encourage hygiene and ensure the safety of your work environment is by providing hand sanitizers. But not all hand sanitizer dispensers are ideal for public places.
While hand sanitizers kill many germs, these tools are among the surfaces with the highest contact in public spaces, especially in recent times. So providing hand sanitizers in regular containers for your workplace does little to encourage people to use them. No one wants to risk getting infected by touching a hand sanitizer container.
Automatic wall-mounted models are not only convenient; they are safer. Their mostly sleek and modern design increases the aesthetics of your work environment. Beyond convenience and beauty, more people are willing to use touchless versions of wall mounted hand sanitizer dispensers than those that come in regular containers.
That is not to say hand sanitizers in bottles are not effective. These options have their place and are better suited for personal use. However, when it comes to public spaces, the wall mounted hand sanitizer options are the best solution.
Benefits of Wall Mounted Hand Sanitizers
Obviously, hand sanitizers kill germs that might be present on our hands. But what does this mean for the workplace? What are the benefits of mounting them on the walls?
The advantages include:
- Significant reduction in the risk of cross-infection: With everyone in the workplace having access to a wall mounted hand sanitizer, cases of germs and diseases passing from one person to another is greatly reduced. This is especially true if you install a touchless or automatic hand sanitizer dispenser.
- Decreased downtime for workers due to sickness: Apparently, increased hygiene translates to a healthy workforce. Whether it is the common flu or the dreaded COVID-19, no business thrives when workers frequently call in sick. Work environments where workers use hand sanitizers more regularly tend to record fewer cases of respiratory or flu-related health problems. A 2010 study published in the BioMed Central journal (BMC) provides strong evidence to support the claim.
- Increased customer and employee satisfaction: If your establishment has portable restrooms, everyone, including guests, will be more than pleased to have access to a wall mounted hand sanitizer. Mounting hand sanitizers near restrooms set people’s minds at ease, especially if they are automatic options.
- Promotes hygiene practice: Mounting hand sanitizers at conspicuous locations is a good way to remind people to make wellness and hygiene practice a top priority. Washing hands with soap and water won’t cut the deal when it comes to preventing norovirus outbreaks in public facilities. This was clearly demonstrated in a 2011 study published in the American Journal of Infection Control.
- Easy Accessibility: Wall mounted hand sanitizer dispensers are easily accessible, which means employees are more likely to use it. Conversely, many people might be tempted to overlook regular handwashing if they have to take a long trip to another part of the facility or go to a restroom to access a hand sanitizer.
Best Locations for Wall Mounted Hand Sanitizer
Mounting hand sanitizers on walls is a good thing for your organization, provided they are located within sight and are easily accessible. Ensure that they are mounted near high contact surfaces, high traffic areas, and communal locations. Examples of such locations include:
- Cafeterias: When food is consumed with germ-infected hands, people can become sick very quickly. Unfortunately, kitchens and break rooms are among the germ high-risk areas of many organizations. While the use of hand sanitizer cannot replace handwashing before preparing food, it can minimize and even eliminate significant amounts of germs in the cooking and eating area.
- Entrances and exits: Germs and diseases can easily be spread via doorknobs in workplaces. Other high-contact surfaces close to entrances and exits, such as light switches, can also spread germs very quickly. Frequently disinfecting these surfaces will not be very effective if people still touch them with germ-infected hands.
Mounting a hand sanitizer at entrances and exits, along with wiping those surfaces, will greatly minimize the possibility of spreading germs.
- Employee desks: The simple act of touching computer mouse and keyboards, telephones and mobile phones, and even the top of the desk come with high risks of transferring or contracting germs. Unfortunately, many employees spend a large part of their day sitting at their desk where they sneeze, cough, and even eat sometimes, especially when they have to multitask.
Although desk surfaces may not be the typical suspect when it comes to germ transfer, these areas are literal virus minefields. And to make matters worse, a 2006 study found that viruses can survive on desk surfaces from a few days to up to four months.
A wall mounted hand sanitizer located in different sections of the workplace saves the cost of providing several bottles of hand sanitizers for each employee’s desk. It also safeguards each employee from potential germs that might be passed from coworkers or visitors coming to their desks.
- Meeting rooms: Germs can easily be picked up in meeting rooms since this is one of the places where handshakes are common among employees, clients, and visitors as well. Depending on the size of the meeting room, installing one or more wall mounted hand sanitizers can help attendees safeguard their hands before, during, and after meetings.
In Closing
Using a wall mounted hand sanitizer is an ideal choice for homes, and even more effective in public spaces such as the workplace. Touchless hand sanitizers are the safest solution, because they stay cleaner. These are available in wall mounted and post mounted versions. If you want more mobility, you may want to consider hand sanitizer dispenser stands with the ability to check the temperature. These are effective solutions for screening people as they enter stores and enclosed spaces, and they are so portable they can be easily moved as needed.
