Teaching good hand washing techniques
in Primary Schools
Hand Washing Health Promotion Visits
Members of the Environmental Health Food Team are visiting local primary schools to promote the importance of hand-washing.
The aim is to highlight how easily food poisoning bacteria can be spread, and how few people wash and dry their hands properly. The children learn that this can often lead to the spread of infections.
Special equipment - an ultra violet light box and ‘magic’ cream - is used to show the children which parts of their hands haven’t been washed properly.
To demonstrate how easily germs can spread, the children are asked to imagine that the cream is bacteria. The children are given some of the cream to rub into their hands before placing their hands inside the UV cabinet and watch the cream glow in the light. They are then asked to wash them as they normally would and put their hands back into the cabinet. They are are always amazed at how much cream is still there.
We then show them the correct way to wash their hands.
When everyone has had their go, the children are all given nailbrushes and certificates - the girls are ‘Soap Stars’ and the boys are ‘Grime Busters’. It is an enjoyable session for the children and encourages them to always wash their hands properly.
For more information, or if you would like us to visit your school, please use the contact details at the top of this page.
