Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 11th April 2024 Issue no. 1109
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Manufacturer highlights need for good hand hygiene in schools with new focus on food preparation
Kimberly-Clark Professional has extended its Hand Wash Heroes resources to help schools and nurseries educate children about good hand hygiene as a critical part of food preparation. The new materials will support teachers and staff following the renewed focus this year on practical cooking in the National Curriculum.
Hand Wash Heroes is part of the manufacturer's Healthy Schools Project - a wellness programme that brings together hand hygiene solutions and education resources to help improve pupil and staff wellbeing in the education environment. Products are specially designed for use by children such as soap with smaller shots for little hands and easy-to-use hand towel systems that help control usage. Participating schools are also given access to educational materials designed to engage and motivate pupils, teachers and staff to help reduce the spread of germs by learning about the importance of good hand washing.
"Today children are encouraged to handle and prepare food more and more, both in the classroom and at home for fun. It is, therefore, important to teach them about the importance of hand hygiene as part of that," explains Dr. Louise Vickerman, EMEA target market manager - education, Kimberly-Clark Professional. "The new resources are an extension of the existing Hand Wash Heroes lessons or can be used as a standalone tool to support food preparation activity."
The two new sets of materials for key stage 1 and key stage 2 include a poster and lesson plans with simple activities for teaching about the importance of hand hygiene before preparing food.
"We have included ideas of how to promote good hand washing behaviour and to motivate children as part of a healthy lifestyle," adds Dr. Vickerman. "Washing hands before preparing food is only one time out of many that children and adults should wash their hands. Therefore, the new resources can fit well within other areas of the curriculum such as health and self-care, and science for example."
The Healthy Schools Project was set up by Kimberly-Clark Professional to help reduce illnesses and subsequent absenteeism of both pupils and staff in schools and nurseries.
"Every day, thousands of children are off sick due to minor illnesses such as colds and tummy bugs depriving them of valuable learning time," says Dr. Vickerman. "Whenever something is updated in the National Curriculum it is important to consider the correct hygiene recommendations to support and maintain children's wellness. The new resources now provide that for practical cooking and are also an opportunity to reinforce knowledge to help children develop good hygiene habits as part of their daily lives."
15th January 2015