Gojo Industries-Europe has launched a ‘Hand Sanitiser Integrity’ campaign to help sustain safe and effective hand hygiene practice.
When hand sanitiser demand outpaced supply during the pandemic, many turned to dispensers and bottles that could be refilled from large sanitiser containers. According to a recent study1, 70% of respondents admitted that they 'sometimes refilled hand sanitiser system cartridges', and 60% of these 'planned to continue these practices when supply chains return to normal, post-COVID'.
However, they may not be the safest or most effective solution – and can actually pose a risk to public health. These ‘open refill’ dispensers are typically serviced by pouring product into them and are usually ‘topped-off’ from gallons or drums of sanitiser that are not equipped with pumps for individual, portion controlled product usage.
Problems associated with this system include branded hand sanitiser products being refilled with other formulas, products mixing into unknown chemical combinations, inadvertent contamination or degradation, and product tampering. All of which can mean an uncompliant and potentially harmful end product.
Furthermore, mixing hand sanitisers can result in a poor user experience, producing a watery or sticky product, and can also cause skin irritation2, which can all contribute towards lower levels of compliance. The wrong product could also jam the pump, rendering the dispenser unusable.
To ensure hand sanitiser safety measures up, the integrity campaign recommends buyers should:
- Opt for products that meet key standards, including EN 14476 and EN 12791.
- Ensure the product is dermatologically tested.
- Check that refills are sealed to prevent contamination.
Chris Wakefield, managing director UK & Ireland, Gojo Industries-Europe, commented: "We understand that, during the pandemic, other solutions were sought in an effort to protect people, and bulk style sanitiser systems plugged that need. However, the widespread use of these, together with a surge of unsafe products in the market, means there is currently a greater risk to human health and safety."
He added that by using Purell products, with sanitary sealed refills, users can ensure their hand sanitiser is uncontaminated. It is also formulated to kill 99.99% of the most common germs that may be harmful and has passed key norm EN14476 in just 30 seconds.3
References
1 Study of Hand Sanitiser Refilling Behaviours, GOJO 2020
2 https://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/providers/index.html
3 Tested against Coronavirus BCoV (surrogate virus) according to EN 14476 standard
