The World Health Organisation (WHO) has approved the use of hand dryers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Although hand dryers are NOT effective in killing the virus, there is no sufficient evidence that shows hand dryers allow for greater risk of contracting the virus. To protect yourself from the coronavirus, you should regularly clean your hands with an alcohol based soap, or simply soap and water for at least 30 seconds.
They have stated on their website, that you should dry your hands with paper towels, or a warm air dryer. For best practices on washing your hands during COVID-19, take a look at our guide on what you need to do.
Joining WHO, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have also approved the use of hand dryers. The science behind hand washing and using clean towels, or air dryers shows conflicting studies. What is important to remember, is that it has not been shown that removing microbes from hands is linked to better health, and studies have stated using a clean towel to dry your hands, as well as air drying them, is much more effective for hand hygiene.
The UK government has joined international health experts in approving hand dryers for better health and hygiene. It’s no doubt that the government is working incredibly hard to provide the most accurate, effective, and safe guidance during this unprecedented and challenging time. It’s imperative that everyone keeps high standards of hygiene in order to combat COVID-19. With that being said, as many of us return back to work, businesses should provide the best hand drying facilities and hygiene solutions – in the form of hand sanitiser stations, paper towels, gloves, face masks and electrical dryers.
Ideally, we recommend using HEPA filtered hand dryers. The HEPA technology which is featured in hand dryers kills up to 99.9% of bacteria, and is much more effective than any other hand drying technology. They are also commonly found in air purifiers, vacuum cleaners, and other products where environments require high air quality.
Ultimately, HEPA filters have the power to trap almost 100% of the particles in the air that are 0.3 microns or smaller. If you want to practice good hygiene within your workplace, or even in the home to tackle the coronavirus, it’s time to invest in the latest hand drying technology.
