By Kyle Emshwiller
Have you ever witnessed a sickness spread from coworker to coworker? Chances are, you answered “Yes.” But fear not. There’s a new accessory that promises to keep coworkers’ hands clean and germ-free.
Workplaces can be a haven for the flu, colds, and other viruses, and the results can be costly. From absences, to drops in productivity, the toll can be detrimental, especially in healthcare facilities.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2 million people each year become ill as a result of a hospital-acquired infection. The agency encourages proper hand hygiene to prevent these infections—which contribute to the death of nearly 90,000 hospital patients per year and $4.5 billion in medical expenses.
But how do you get employees to wash their hands? One company is thinking beyond posters and training sessions and created a bracelet that is part of a complete wireless hand hygiene monitoring system.
According to the company, Hyginex, the bracelet system, provides real-time monitoring and warning of hand hygiene compliance, including duration and technique (scrubbing), of healthcare workers, as well as detailed statistical reports for any time span from personal up to hospital level.
A picture on the company website shows the bracelet in action. The blue wrist accessory is about the size of a watch.