Reduce the spread of germs with hands-free and touch-free products in your facility.
The Centers for Disease Control and National Institutes of Health note that the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 can live on plastic and stainless steel for up to three days and be transmitted by people touching infected surfaces. Your facility is filled with those surfaces, from the front entry to the restrooms and beyond. One way to help mitigate the spread of germs to make a switch to hands-free or touch-free items. Creating a touch-free facility can provide a safer, healthier and certainly a more reassuring space for all.
Safe Spaces Start at the Main Entrance
Go touch-free in your main entrance or lobby with automatic doors, specialty handles (we’re seeing a lot of innovation around hands-free entries, including retrofitted 3-D printed handles) and alternative options such as foot powered openers. In your entry, adding in a touch-free sanitizing station with antibacterial gel gives both peace of mind and an immediate sanitizing start.
Reassess Your Sanitizer and Wipe Stations
Many of you already have touch-free hand sanitizer stations throughout your space. Do a check around — make sure that they’re readily available, with clearly labeled signage by the exits/entries, restrooms, common areas including registration and check in, Own or manage a fitness center? Be sure that there are plenty of antibacterial wipes in bulk near your free weights and treadmills (two of the areas that can have the highest concentration of germs). A good rule of thumb? People shouldn't have to go out of their zone to get wipes, cleaning spray, or hand sanitizer.
Next Up: Restrooms and Locker Rooms
A hot spot for bacteria, restrooms and locker rooms are good places to make the switch to touch-free. Simply put, switching out to automatic soap dispensers, automatic hand dryers and hands free antibacterial dispensers will cut down on contact and spreading of germs in a major way.
Other touch-free opportunities to consider that you may not have in place: remote locker openers, remote shower starters, touch free faucets, and toilets with sensors and touch free step can trash bins.
There’s More to Touch-free than Good Hygiene
What’s good for your communities’ health is also good for the environment. Our energy-efficient XLERATOR automatic hand dryer (made in the USA) saves on paper costs and dries hands quickly.
Hands-free drinking fountains and bottle filling stations encourage hydration, cut down on plastic bottle usage (less waste in the landfill!) and promote safe drinking habits.
Consider the Switch to Hands Free Exits and Entries
Inside your facility, foot-operated door openers will allow members to enter restrooms, wellness areas and the like with the touch of their foot. Outside, hands-free adapter kits or automatic door openers can help to cut down on the spread of germs as well.
Focus on: Education
Get the word out! If you're a fitness facility, encourage members to wipe down equipment after each use (though we’re fairly certain that what wasn’t necessarily a habit before will most certainly be now). Make sure that wipes are readily available. Encourage members to wash their hands before and after their workouts, and communicate your deep clean schedule to further provide reassurance to your community. And let your members see the staff cleaning and using the hands-free stations - if your staff is on board with proper cleaning techniques using touch free products, your members will be, too.
The same applies for schools, offices and hospitality facilities: ensure you have adequate hands-free automatic dispensers in easily accessible locations. And tout your cleaning and disinfecting protocols with students, staff and clientele!
We’re in this Together!
Questions? We’re always available to walk you through the options for moving to a touch free facility. Call or email us anytime, and for more helpful tips, check out the following:
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