Professions That Involve Clean Hands

Regularly cleaning your hands promotes better health for you and for the general population. In certain professions, having clean hands is a necessity. Health professionals and food service workers require consistent and thorough hand-washing.

Doctor/Surgeon

• Whether seeing patients at the office, hospital room, or in surgery, a medical doctor should have clean hands. Doctors see as many as 20 patients, or more, daily. With each patient comes the risk of transmission of disease to the next, by the doctor shaking hands or touching the patient. Hand washing is essential for doctors to lessen the risk to patient and doctor.

Nurse/Health Care Workers

• Nurses are on the front line of health care. Regardless of the setting, nurses have the same responsibilities; they treat patients. They administer medications, draw blood products and assist in operating rooms among other duties. They work among the sickest of patients and must have clean hands to lessen the possibility of cross-contamination between patients.

Chef/Food Handlers

• Chefs prepare food and must be aware of the safety issues with regard to handling meats and eggs, and sanitation. It is essential that chefs, cooks, waitstaff, vendors and food handlers have clean hands, because many illnesses are transmitted through food.

Dentist/Hygienists/Assistants

• Even though dentists, hygienists and their assistants wear gloves, saliva and blood splatter can happen during the performance of their duties. Washing hands and changing outer garments lessens the transmission of bacteria to the next patient.