Should Hand Sanitizer Be Placed In Schools, Prisons and Restrooms?

In this article, industry manufacturers answer common questions asked by building service contractors

Should schools and prisons use alcohol-based hand sanitizer?

While there are some schools and correctional facilities that shy away from alcohol-based hand sanitizers, it isn’t across the board. We have, in fact, seen significant results achieved with alcohol-based hand sanitizers in school settings. In one study conducted in schools published by the “American Journal of Infection Control,” absenteeism caused by illness was 50.6 person lower in classrooms that used alcohol-based hand sanitizer regularly and implemented a hand hygiene education program vs. classrooms that did not.

Facilities make individual choices based on many factors, but experts like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

While there are non-alcohol formulations, our recommendations typically agree with the experts, especially since so many studies have proven their effectiveness.   

— Joe Drenik, marketing communications and services senior director, GOJO Industries, Akron, Ohio

Based on the testing done by our microbiology lab, non-alcohol hand sanitizers are not effective at killing germs. We tested the "top" selling non-alcohol hand sanitizers and none of them met the 2-log germ kill U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirement. If a facility cannot use alcohol-based hand sanitizers, they should not waste their resources on products that are not effective. They should instead invest in a liquid or foam soap that meets the FDA Monograph for antibacterial hand soaps.

— Ronald Lewis, associate brand manager, Henkel - Diversified Markets Division, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Non-alcohol based hand sanitizers are recommended for schools and prisons. There are several active ingredients, but they all work the same way to kill germs on the skin. One active ingredient is benzethonium chloride. Another popular active is quaternary ammonium chloride.

— Greg Hill, product manager, hand care, Zep Sales & Service, Atlanta

Are both and soap and water and hand sanitizer necessary in the restroom?

They are both necessary. A study by the American Society for Microbiology and the American Cleaning Institute (ACI), formerly the Soap and Detergent Association, shows that almost a quarter of men and women don’t wash their hands in public restrooms. And 46 percent of people who wash their hands don’t wash long enough to be effective, according to the most recent ACI Clean Hands Report Card. When that happens, germs are transferred from hands to other surfaces throughout the building.  

We find that installing hand sanitizer dispensers at the restroom exit helps reduce the risk of germs leaving the restroom and improves the image of the facility. Because it is in the traffic flow, it is more likely to be used – even by those who choose to not wash.  

Placement of dispensers is critical. The best place is inside the restroom, on the wall by the exit door, next to the door handle, 36- to 46 inches off the floor. That makes it conveniently accessible to encourage use. Hand sanitizers should never be placed near the soap dispensers at the sink, as placement there can be confusing to patrons.

— Joe Drenik, marketing communications and services senior director, GOJO Industries, Akron, Ohio

It is not necessary to use both soap and hand sanitizer in the restroom if the soap is an antibacterial soap. If the soap is not antibacterial, then we do recommend using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to provide better germ protection.  Non-antibacterial soaps do not provide adequate germ-killing required to prevent the spread of disease-causing bacteria. Antibacterial soap and alcohol-based hand sanitizers provide the necessary 99.99 percent germ-kill required by the FDA respectively.

— Ronald Lewis, associate brand manager, Henkel - Diversified Markets Division, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Soap and water is enough to keep your hands clean for normal everyday activities, like working in an office environment. Hand sanitizers are useful for reducing germs on the hands, and placing these dispensers in high traffic areas, like in office break rooms or by water coolers, increases the frequency of use. Frequent hand washing and sanitizing reduces the spread of germs in the workplace and is especially useful during the winter months to help prevent colds and flu.

— Greg Hill, product manager, hand care, Zep Sales & Service, Atlanta

Our recommendation is that hand sanitizers should not be put in a restroom because if they are available there is a danger that they will be used in place of, or instead of, hand washing. Hand washing should always be preferred hygiene method after using the bathroom.

— Ron Shuster, product line director, STOKO Skin Care by Evonik, Greensboro, N.C.