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Employees getting sore hands due to increased handwashing during Covid-19

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Simon

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Posted 03 April 2020 - 03:47 PM

Anyone seeing this?  I've heard it reported.

In which case what were they (not) doing before?

 

One upshot of Coronavirus could be safer food. :dunno:

 

Regards,

Simon

 

 


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MsMars

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Posted 03 April 2020 - 03:55 PM

I think there's a greater increase of handwashing outside the workplace now which compounds the issue.  In any event, food-safe moisturizer should always be supplied for prevention since dry/cracked hands with open wound are a breeding ground for bacteria. 



arahman

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Posted 03 April 2020 - 03:58 PM

Hi Simon,

 

I have noticed it for myself. I think it's not necessary the hand washing as much as the sanitizers. Also hand washing has gone up thankfully. Probably spending more time washing hands than actually working  :uhm:  



Charles.C

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Posted 03 April 2020 - 04:05 PM

Soap manufacturers are also presumably "rubbing their hands."

 

In a Good Cause of course. :thumbup:


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Charles.C


Lucas H

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Posted 03 April 2020 - 04:58 PM

Anyone seeing this?  I've heard it reported.

In which case what were they (not) doing before?

 

One upshot of Coronavirus could be safer food. :dunno:

 

Regards,

Simon

Hi

 

yes I had some issues in the past, one of them or all of them solved the issue:

 

1. Make them use skin care products (employees often don't use the, I do not know why)

2. Check the soap for perfume, some people do not react well to them.

3. Move them to a working station which is not as critical until the skin has recovered.

 

If I can think of more I will tell you,

 

I hope I coud be of service :-)



The Food Scientist

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Posted 03 April 2020 - 05:18 PM

 

One upshot of Coronavirus could be safer food. :dunno:

 

 

ooooh yes!!! I said that few days ago LOL! 

 

We enforced that even clocking in clocking out they should wash their hands and not only during the mandatory times (bathroom, lunch...etc). And I think their hands are becoming irritated from the hand sanitizer too (I know mine are) and not to mention at home they are probably washing them way too much. I gave them hand lotion to use at the end of the shift when they are ready to leave due to it being a food safety risk during their shift. The real challenge now is stocking up on sufficient hand soap/sanitizer/gloves  :silly:


Edited by The Food Scientist, 03 April 2020 - 05:19 PM.

Everything in food is science. The only subjective part is when you eat it. - Alton Brown.


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Ryan M.

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Posted 03 April 2020 - 05:41 PM

Yes.  Employees wear gloves and wash the gloves hands.  Difficult to source and find approved food contact lotions right now.  Many websites will show they have it, but in contacting them we find they are out like many other supplies.



kettlecorn

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Posted 03 April 2020 - 05:46 PM

I think there's a greater increase of handwashing outside the workplace now which compounds the issue.  In any event, food-safe moisturizer should always be supplied for prevention since dry/cracked hands with open wound are a breeding ground for bacteria. 

We've actually seen this problem! I never thought I'd be worried about people washing hands too much!



pHruit

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Posted 04 April 2020 - 07:10 PM

We've actually seen this problem! I never thought I'd be worried about people washing hands too much!

Same here :lol:

Again I think it's because people are now washing and sanitizing their hands so much outside of work.

 

I've also noticed that the general public has caught "magic gloves" disease - we spend hours explaining and re-explaining that gloves aren't a substitute for basic hygiene practices, and now a walk around the supermarket is like a training video on how *not* to use gloves. The government is busy telling everyone not to touch their face, which would seem particularly relevant in a public setting with so many contact points, but once you put gloves on you can push the trolley, poke your nose, rub your eyes, lick your finger (really!) to moisten it so you can flick through the newspaper etc., all thanks to the apparently amazing properties of a latex glove :o



zanorias

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Posted 04 April 2020 - 08:58 PM

Same here :lol:
Again I think it's because people are now washing and sanitizing their hands so much outside of work.

I've also noticed that the general public has caught "magic gloves" disease - we spend hours explaining and re-explaining that gloves aren't a substitute for basic hygiene practices, and now a walk around the supermarket is like a training video on how *not* to use gloves. The government is busy telling everyone not to touch their face, which would seem particularly relevant in a public setting with so many contact points, but once you put gloves on you can push the trolley, poke your nose, rub your eyes, lick your finger (really!) to moisten it so you can flick through the newspaper etc., all thanks to the apparently amazing properties of a latex glove :o


I was thinking about this during my last supermarket trip; many people are wearing gloves but are they washing and sanitising their gloves before they touch their face? I expect the argument of "gloves providing a false sense of hygiene" that we've discussed in the food industry is also relevant here, and potentially increasing the chance of some people being infected.

I've used a hand moisturiser daily since joining the industry to combat dry hands from washing them 63829 times a day. Will be interesting to see if sales increase on a lag following sanitiser.


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Ryan M.

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Posted 06 April 2020 - 02:14 PM

I have seen this at every store I've visited.  Lots of people wearing gloves, but they are touching the shopping cart, then their face, then their family member, then stuff on the shelf, then their wallet / purse / money.

 

I've always said gloves provide a false sense of security; it is not truer than ever before.

 

 

I was thinking about this during my last supermarket trip; many people are wearing gloves but are they washing and sanitising their gloves before they touch their face? I expect the argument of "gloves providing a false sense of hygiene" that we've discussed in the food industry is also relevant here, and potentially increasing the chance of some people being infected.

I've used a hand moisturiser daily since joining the industry to combat dry hands from washing them 63829 times a day. Will be interesting to see if sales increase on a lag following sanitiser.



kfromNE

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Posted 06 April 2020 - 08:48 PM

I've seen this problem even before Covid-19 became an issue. I, myself have this issue especially in the winter. My suggestion - tell the employees to use hydrocorotisone cream. It works better than lotion. My skin including hands can get eczema like. At my last job - we had some in our first aid kit. I gave them to the employees with instruction of using it after work or during there breaks.



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Olyank1019

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Posted 07 April 2020 - 12:36 PM

I have always battled with dry cracked hands, especially in the winter. I have found that what has helped me the most is making sure when drying my hands, I do not rub them dry with the towels. Instead if you pat them dry, there will be less skin breakdown. Hope this might help..



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Posted 07 April 2020 - 03:31 PM

Just shows they weren't doing it properly before unless it's a problem for them all the time.  Season changes can also cause issues.  Neutrogena concentrated hand cream is your friend to sort out any dermatitis issues.





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