•  Ensure your fleet is health and safety-compliant 

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has long held that employees should have access to general washing facilities. As of last November, the law changed again to specify that all workers have the right to access washing facilities at non-domestic addresses.

However, for those dealing with both dry and wet refuse, the need to have immediate access to washing facilities is imperative. Many still will not be working in areas where there are the requisite buildings to host them. Therefore, the need for vans and other vehicles to have the capabilities to wash hands is vital. 

•  Hands may look clean but can be dangerously dirty

A recent study has found that over 200 million bacteria can be found on one hand after a trip to the toilet. 

Engineers may be forced to stop for a comfort break. Supplying fleets with hand rubs or gels can fall seriously short of preventing the spread of viruses and infections. 

Hand sanitisers only act as a barrier against a limited range of germs; hand washing under warm, running water with soap, remains the gold standard.

If engineers have no access to facilities to wash their hands under warm, running water with soap, they risk serious illnesses because hands will not be properly cleaned.

•  Good customer service

Engineers may be visiting customers at homes or businesses. Clean hands send a clear message to the customer – quality is delivered at all times with cleanliness and professionalism. 

Dirty hands can also carry and transmit dirt and bacteria from previous jobs. Keeping hands clean and fresh not only reassures the customer of the quality of the work but will also prevent the spread of contamination and infection. 

•  Working days lost due to ill health

According to the Office for National Statistics, more than 137 million work days were lost to the UK economy in 2016 due to sickness and injury. 

Washing hands with soap and water is proven to be the single most effective procedure in stopping the spread of germs and infection. On-board access to hand washing facilities is imperative in saving time between jobs, saving companies lost working days and, in dramatic cases, saving lives.

•  No excuse for poor hand hygiene

TEAL Patents has been working in the commercial vehicle sector – for which it has a specialist range – for more than 60 years. That means many employers, who lead a peripatetic fleet workforce, will know of TEAL’s range of hot water, hand wash units which can be fitted to their vehicles.

The Handeman Xtra, for example, has been devised to fit a vehicle. It does not require access to mains water or drainage, so engineers can wash their hands wherever their vehicle takes them. As soon as a driver’s hands are dirtied, they have the means to clean them. That can save all manner of occupational hazards – from driver well-being just by feeling clean – to chronic dermatitis.

Robust, the Handeman Xtra provides a minimum of 10, 12-second hand washes per filling. Available in four versions, it simply connects to the vehicle’s battery to heat the water.  

The TEALwash is another suitable model for works vehicles and has easy-to-keep clean flip-tap.

Both models are available for purchase or hire and can be delivered across the UK mainland within 24 hours.