Is your soap clean?

Many soap dispensers in public places are contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria.

Washing with contaminated soap increase the concentrations on people’s hands and on the surfaces they touch.

Refillable Bulk Soap Puts the Health of Washroom Users and the Image of Building Owners at Risk

A recent study has shown that hands can have as much as 25 times more germs after washing with refillable bulk soap than before washing.

Refillable bulk soap is the kind of washroom soap that’s typically poured from a gallon jug into an open dispenser reservoir. Find out how this soap can put your health at risk, then take action to help stop the threat

Refillable bulk soap is messy and labor intensive, and has been proven susceptible to bacterial contamination that can lead to a range of health issues. The refillable bulk soap risk was highlighted as part of a CNN report on The 8 Germiest Places at the Mall, on November 26, 2011.

The Risk

  • The germs identified in bulks soap have led to infections and fatalities in immunocompromised individuals
  • The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),1 Health Canada,2 and the World Health Organization (WHO)3 have all recognized the bacterial contamination risk of “topping off” refillable bulk soap dispensers, and have issued guidelines against the practice.

The Image

In addition to the health risk posed to tenants and washroom users, refillable bulk soap can negatively affect the image of buildings and washrooms. The pouring of soup into multiple dispensers is slow and can leave a soapy mess. The extended labor time and product waste translate to cost issues, impacting customers’ bottom lines.

The Safe, Smart and Sustainable Alternative

Building owners and facility managers have an alternative that addresses the problems associated with refillable bulk soaps. GOJO SANITARY SEALED™ Refills are factory sealed to help lock out germs. It’s the sealed soap system that’s better for people, the planet and the bottom line of customers.

Read the original article and study here.

Contact your UniFirst First Aid + Safety representative today for a free consultation.

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings: Recommendations of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee and the HICPAC/SHEA/APIC/IDSA Hand Hygiene Task Force. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. October 25, 2002 / Vol. 51 / No. RR-16. Accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/Guidelines.html on May 18, 2010.
  2. Health Canada Guidance Document for Human-Use Antiseptic Drugs. December 2009. pg 32.
  3. World Health Organization (2009) WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization Press.