Germs spread rapidly in public spaces, especially in schools where high-traffic areas and shared surfaces are unavoidable. Among these spaces, school cafeterias stand out as hotspots for germs. Studies show that some cafeteria surfaces, including those in colleges, can host bacterial counts up to 60,000 times higher than household toilet seats.

Frequent contact with shared surfaces like tables, trays, and door handles makes cafeterias particularly susceptible to germ transmission. These germs can easily lead to illness among students and staff. Younger children, especially those aged 1–12, are the most vulnerable to these illnesses, resulting in increased school absences that are often preventable with better hygiene practices.

The Role of NSF in Food Safety

To protect public health, especially in food preparation and dining areas, the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) has established rigorous standards for sanitation and food safety. Using NSF-certified products is essential for maintaining these standards and ensuring cafeterias remain safe and hygienic for everyone.

Symmetry’s Antimicrobial Solution

Symmetry has NSF certified products such as Antimicrobial Foaming Hand Wash with Benzalkonium Chloride. This product is an excellent tool to combat the spread of germs in school cafeterias. It is formulated to reduce the presence of pathogens and disease-causing bacteria, preventing contamination during food preparation and consumption.

Frequent handwashing is critical for minimizing the spread of germs, and Symmetry’s Antimicrobial Foaming Hand Wash makes it easy. Its easy-to-rinse, fragrance free and gentle foam, makes it easy for students and staff in cafeteria areas to adopt healthier hand hygiene habits.

The Impact of Hand Hygiene

Incorporating best practices for hand hygiene in the cafeteria and throughout the school lowers the risk of spreading pathogens in schools. By using Symmetry Antimicrobial Foaming Hand Wash in cafeteria food prep areas, schools can proactively reduce the risk of germ transmission.

 

A Cleaner Tomorrow

Creating a cleaner, healthier school starts with education and access. Teaching students the importance of handwashing and providing effective products like Symmetry’s Antimicrobial Foaming Hand Wash can significantly decrease the spread of illness.

To support these efforts, Symmetry provides innovative resources through the Symmetry Behavior Modification System (SBMS). SBMS is designed to inspire hand hygiene by raising awareness and encouraging action. For example, Symmetry offers Digital Placards to visually remind students and staff of the importance of hand hygiene.

Additionally, Symmetry offers Behavioral Beacons, these beacons use engaging light projections to prompt handwashing at critical moments, creating a fun and interactive way to build healthier habits.

Symmetry also supplies educational materials, such as customizable flyers and informative handouts, that schools can use to promote hand hygiene and awareness among students and staff alike.

By combining innovative tools and educational resources, Symmetry helps schools create an environment where proper hand hygiene becomes second nature, supporting a healthier tomorrow

Curious about how to make your school a healthier, safer place?

Check out the Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program and learn more about our customizable program for schools.

It’s time again to celebrate and raise awareness for International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW). Established in 1986, IIPW highlights the critical role infection preventionists play in improving patient safety. This year’s theme, “Moving the Needle on Infection Prevention”, emphasizes the progress made across healthcare in reducing the spread of infections.

The Role of Hand Hygiene

One of the most essential aspects of infection prevention is maintaining proper hand hygiene. Regular handwashing or using hand sanitizer can dramatically reduce the transmission of infections within healthcare facilities. According to the World Health Organization, hand hygiene improvement programs can prevent up to 50% of avoidable infections during healthcare delivery.

Lower HAIs

Infection preventionists work tirelessly to combat infections and diseases, especially with ongoing outbreaks and viruses affecting our daily lives. One of the best ways to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) is by improving hand hygiene awareness—whether through better access to sanitizer and soap or increasing public awareness in shared spaces.

Acceptance = Compliance = Lower HAIs

Symmetry^® Hand Hygiene Program

Symmetry’s^® comprehensive approach supports healthcare professionals by providing high-quality, gentle hand hygiene products, along with tools like the Symmetry Behavior Modification System and Point of Care items. These resources help reinforce hand hygiene practices at critical moments throughout the day.

Point of Care Tools

Symmetry’s Point of Care tools help hospitals reach their infection prevention goals, including those outlined in APIC’s Patient Hand Hygiene Toolkit. This toolkit compiles data from several studies, concluding that a lack of patient hand hygiene contributes to room contamination and the spread of infection.

With Symmetry, healthcare facilities can increase patient awareness and provide greater access to hand hygiene  tools such as tray tables, bedside dispensers, and other easily accessible stations. This creates more opportunities for patients to clean their hands throughout the hospital, ultimately helping reduce infection rates.

Thank you to all infection preventionists for the invaluable work you do in safeguarding the health of patients, staff, and communities. Infection prevention is an ongoing commitment, and every effort helps to move the needle towards safer care for everyone.

For more information about how Symmetry can help prevent infections in your facility, contact your local Buckeye representative.

“Many HAIs (healthcare-associated infections) are transmitted by healthcare personnel, and hand hygiene is a primary means to reduce these infections.” – Health Research & Education Trust, affiliate of the American Hospital Association

Hand hygiene noncompliance is a major contributor to the spread of HAIs. It’s also one of the easiest practices to improve. Symmetry’s goal is to provide products that healthcare workers want to use. With reliable dispensers and better products, healthcare workers are more likely to follow hand hygiene compliance policies.

Symmetry products are less likely to contribute to dry hands or leave sticky residue behind. Through clinical evaluation, Symmetry consistently proves to be the preferred choice of healthcare workers. Because Symmetry provides products that healthcare workers prefer, workers are more likely to clean their hands and help reduce the spread of germs.

To keep hand hygiene on the minds of staff, visitors, and patients, Symmetry offers the Symmetry Behavior Modification System (SBMS). SBMS utilizes behavioral science to drive hand hygiene compliance. With unique tools based on the six key tenets of benevolence, accountability, responsibility, variation, emotion, and direction, SBMS inspires immediate hand hygiene practices.

Symmetry also uses point of care tools to focus on the five moments for hand hygiene. The five moments for hand hygiene approach defines key moments when healthcare workers should perform hand hygiene. Symmetry’s point of care tools include suction cups, lanyards, and cart brackets to give healthcare workers easy access to hand hygiene opportunities while working directly with patients. 

The tools of the Symmetry® Hand Hygiene Program make it easier for healthcare workers to access Symmetry products. They keep hand hygiene on the minds of people throughout healthcare facilities and help convey the importance of hand hygiene. Contact your local Buckeye representative for more information on how Symmetry can help healthcare facilities fight HAIs.

Dry skin is an unfortunate side-effect of the winter months. Once the heat is turned on indoors, your skin begins to dry out. For healthcare facilities, this issue is only magnified. Frequent handwashing and hand sanitizing can cause the skin on healthcare workers’ hands to dry out regardless of the season. During the winter months when skin is prone to flaking, finding a solution for those workers who frequently wash their hands is important.

The Symmetry^® Hand Hygiene Program provides products that are gentle on healthcare workers’ skin without compromising performance. They reduce common disease-causing bacteria with comprehensive product testing data. When Symmetry products are tested against competitive hand hygiene products in a Symmetry Challenge, respondents overwhelmingly prefer Symmetry.

Symmetry hand hygiene products include hand washes and hand sanitizers. Choose between scented and unscented options or select one of Symmetry’s Green Seal^™ certified hand hygiene products. Because Symmetry is focused on the comfort of its users, Symmetry also provides Moisturizing Hand Lotion to moisturize, condition, and alleviate dry hands.

Beyond hand hygiene products, washing hands with warm water instead of hot water can also help protect the skin from dryness. Both the CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) advocate using warm water instead of hot water in their hand hygiene guidelines to protect skin. WHO also recommends patting hands drying rather than rubbing to help prevent cracking.

No matter the season, hand hygiene is important in healthcare facilities and beyond. For schools, retail facilities and more, looking for gentle hand hygiene products, contact your local Buckeye representative.

Symmetry® Moisturizing Hand Lotion gently moisturizes and conditions to alleviate dry hands. It has been tested by dermatologists and is compatible with latex, vinyl, nitrile, and CHG. It is fragrance-free, dye-free, and contains Aloe and vitamin E.

Like all Symmetry products, Symmetry Moisturizing Hand Lotion is dispensed from a no-drip system. Its packaging is hermetically sealed and contaminate free, guaranteeing 99% product evacuation. This means money won’t be wasted on product left in discarded containers.

The Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program includes a complete line of hand hygiene products including lotions, hand sanitizers, and hand washes. Symmetry products reduce the spread of germs and their packaging is BPA (bisphenol A) free.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) state that hand hygiene is one of the most important steps in reducing the spread of germs. Symmetry manufactures products that people want to use to encourage hand hygiene acceptance in your facility. The Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program comes complete with the Symmetry Behavior Modification System, a system that uses unique placards and signs with messages to inspire and maximize hand hygiene practices. Symmetry’s placards, signs, and dispensers can be customized with your color, logo, and message.

Contact your local Buckeye representative to test and evaluate Symmetry products in your facility.