Wheelie bins are an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, with waste products waiting to be collected for recycling, landfill, or incineration.
Initial Medical investigated just how great the microbial contamination of wheelie bins is by using ATP swabs, and then developed a solution to help mitigate the risk of cross infection to staff, patients, and customers alike.
New research into sanitisation around wheelie bins
There are many ways to assess the cleanliness of an area, which may help inform infection prevention and control programmes.
Visual inspections, microbial methods, fluorescent markers, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) testing can all be useful at times, and the latter was used in this instance.
An individual swabs a standardised area, which is processed to assess the volume of ATP present. This is the source for energy use and storage at a cellular level and can be measured with a specialist handheld device.
Where ATP is found, this indicates the presence of organic matter and microbial contamination. It highlights where pathogens may be present on a surface, but invisible to the naked eye.
The tests performed by Initial Medical found that across the handle, inside lid, and bottom of the bin, external bins had 267% more ATP than bins located inside. This means the greatest infection threat could be just outside your door.
Pathogens around bins in clinical environments
This research study also indicated that wheelie bins in healthcare environments showed a greater level of contamination than those in non-healthcare environments. This suggests that those working closely with clinical workflows, or specifically in the treatment of another person (whether through tattooing others, extracting teeth or providing routine injections and medical care) may be at a greater risk of cross contaimination when using their wheelie bins.
How to prevent infection from wheelie bins
However, one particular surface stood out with an extreme ATP level.
That is the door handle used at the exit of the bin storage area.
Compared to the door handle on the way in, exit door handles had – on average – 918% more ATP present. If you want to intervene, and reduce the risk of cross contamination if your healthcare setting, this is the area to do so. It is the last barrier before re-entry into your clinical site, where any microbial contamination could be spread to patients and customers.
Next to a wheelie bin, it is worth considering placing a dedicated hand sanitiser solution. The World Health Organisation (WHO) notes that alcohol-based hand rubs are the only known means for rapidly and effectively inactivating a wide array of potentially harmful microorganisms on hands.
Initial Medical can help you minimise the risk of infection by providing an effective hand sanitiser gel that contains 70% alcohol, meeting WHO recommendations. It can kill 99.99% of germs, keeping your team safe from an array of pathogens at frequently used touchpoints. Pair this with a push front dispenser with integral anti-microbial technology that inhibits the growth of bacteria, and you have an effective system in place. Initial Medical can fit the hand sanitising station in your waste store and provide consumables for refills whenever you run low. Installing hand sanitisation stations in key areas not only protects your team, but helps you remain compliant with your waste responsibilities, too.
Bin stores and wheelie bins themselves present a high risk for infection in a variety of healthcare and other environments. With an effective hand sanitiser solution at hand, you can return to providing care knowing you are safer.
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