Food Poisoning, Foodborne Illness Information and Research : International Food Safety Network : BarfBlog

'nuff said.

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The newly married  Gonzalo Erdozain, one half of the Erdozain news pulling siblings and a pre-vet student at Kansas State, writes in a state of marital bliss:

As I walked down an aisle in Chicago's Navy Pier, I couldn't help but notice a nice little automated hand sanitizer dispenser in the middle of the wall, which just happened to be right in between both exits of the restrooms.

I didn't actually used the bathroom, but this fancy machine answered a longstanding question – more of a concern actually – I've always had: Washing my hands is pretty much useless if the guy that exits the bathroom before me doesn't and goes and touches the door's knob or handle. So, by having this on the other side, I feel a little better about having clean hands.
 

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Occasional guest barfblogger and handwashing advocate Michéle Samarya-Timm, now with the Somerset County Health Department in central New Jersey – represent – writes:

Usually poo is an undesirable thing. Regular readers barfblog.com know about the focus on poo avoidance – through proper farm-to-fork food handling, through sound regulatory practices, and through increased handwashing. We inform using po(o)p culture. We use humor. We use reality.

And it doesn’t get much more real than this -- The International Golden Poo Awards were held in London last week.

Imagine, a red-carpet paparazzi filled evening at a majestic theatre, to view a program full of short animated films about hygiene and poo – culminating in the presentation of a coveted golden statuette. How better to increase awareness of handwashing and heap praise on those who are helping to spread the clean hands message in unique, humorous and gross ways?

Golden Poo Award nominees included:

•    For your convenience

•    Symphony Number Two

•    A Film about Poo

•    Poo in Passing

•    Are you spreading poo?

•    Toilet Plant

And the winner: Dancing in the Loo (above).

The winning videos can be found at thegoldenpooawrds.org.

Several of my colleagues already commented that these videos were a little too focused on fecal matter. Perhaps. But as noted in the recent UK study – the perception of gross seems to increase handwashing amongst some audiences.

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A British study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine concluded that people are more likely to wash their hands properly after using the toilet if they are shamed into it or think they are being watched.

As part of a flood of handwashing information for today’s World Handwashing Day, the study, published in the American Journal of Public Health found that with no reminders, 32 percent of men and 64 percent of women used soap.

The observational study reported on the behavior of people using toilets at motorway service stations in Britain over 32 days.

When prompted by an electronic message flashing up on a board asking: "Is the person next to you washing with soap?," around 12 percent more men and 11 percent more women used soap.

Other messages flashed on the electronic boards included:

• Water doesn't kill germs, soap does; and,
• Don't be a dirty soap dodger.

The message that produced the strongest positive response was: "Is the person next to you washing with soap?"

The researchers also noted "intriguing differences" in the behavior of men and women: While women responded to simple reminders, men tended to react best to messages that invoked disgust, such as:

• Don't take the loo with you -- wash with soap, and
• Soap it off or eat it later.

I like the last one.

We’ve undertaken both shock and shame attempts at handwashing messages (below). Results pending.

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I am sure I am not the only person who had to deal with cooties. I wasn’t sure cooties had a definition, but apparently it is a non-medical term for an invisible disease. When I was younger I thought, or was told, that boys had cooties (unless you were a boy and then girls had cooties). I never wanted to touch a boy or touch anything that had been touched by boys. If there was contamination I would quickly chant, “circle circle, dot dot, now I got my cootie shot.” There were hand motions that went along with it as well.

I realize that H1N1, seasonal flu, and other infectious diseases are different than cooties, but in many places, people are acting as if everyone has cooties.

An article by USA Today talks about how people, churches, work places, and hospitals are changing to avoid H1N1 and other influenza/diseases. Butt bumping and fist pumping has taken the place of shaking hands. Magazines and toys have been removed from waiting rooms in hospitals and clinics. And, my personal favorite, stethoscopes and chairs are being disinfected (I can’t believe this hasn’t been done before).

Protect yourself from cooties and other diseases.
 

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I have not really been to Canada; apparently Niagra Falls doesn’t count. But I have had my fair share of Canadian teammates (Canadian Olympian Courtenay Stewart), friends (KSU PhD student, Tanis Hastmann), colleagues (Katie Filion and Ben Chapman), and my boss (Doug Powell). Most of them have strong opinions about everything, which is one of their best qualities.

In accordance to strong opinionated Canadians, the Public Health Agency of Canada has issued guidelines for proper hand hygiene “based on scientific evidence and expert opinion” to prevent and control infection. This guidance includes when to wash or sanitize when there is running water available, when running water is not available, and when running water is not clean.

Hands should be washed:
when they are visibly dirty;
before preparing and immediately after handling food;
before eating food or feeding others;
before breastfeeding;
after using the toilet, changing/handling diapers, or helping someone use the toilet;
after contact with contaminated surfaces (e.g., garbage bins, cleaning cloths);
after handling pets and domestic animals;
after wiping or blowing nose, handling soiled tissues, or sneezing into hands;
after contact with blood or body fluids (e.g., vomit, saliva);
before and after dressing wounds;
before and after giving care or visiting someone who is ill, or someone who is less able to fight off infections (e.g. diabetic, cancer patient);
before preparing and taking medication; and
before inserting and removing contact lenses.

Follow the directions and suggestions, wash or sanitize your hands.

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Washing your hands is great, but it isn’t enough to stop the spread of influenza. Experts from the University of California-Berkeley, Mark Nicas (Environmental Health Sciences) and Arthur Reingold (Epidemiology) say handwashing is one of several ways to combat influenza. Other ways include not touching your face (eyes nose, or mouth) and staying home from school or work if sick.

Reingold says you’re more likely to get sick from influenza, especially the H1N1 virus, from airborne particles because inhaling the flu particles gives you a larger dose than by touching a contaminated object. And, according to Nicas, students at UC Berkeley touch their face an average of 16 times per hour. That is 384 times to transmit what ever is on your hands into mucus glands located in your mouth, eyes, and nose in one day.

Since influenza transmission hasn’t been studied as much as other viruses, like the rhinovirus, the best method of prevention remains unknown. Still, handwashing is a wonderful tool to use; we must remember other preventative ways as well. Stay home and away from others if you’re sick or you feel like you’re getting sick, don’t touch your face, and cover your nose and mouth with your elbow when sneezing and coughing.
 

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 Vet school doesn’t leave much time for extracurricular activities (especially during second year classes), but I try my best to stay relatively well rounded throughout these four years of academic boot camp. One of my favorite weekend activities is Cat town, a tailgating area near the football stadium here at K-State. (Doug talked about it yesterday)  Each home football game has a different Vet med-associated club volunteer to help serve food at Cat town, and yesterday’s game against Tennessee Tech was CVMF’s day (Christian Veterinary Medical Fellowship).  As a CVMF member, I helped to set up and serve lunch to the tailgaters. In typical vet student fashion, some brought their pets to the event. One of my classmates has two beautiful black-capped caiques that are always a big hit at Vet med events, and we had them strategically placed at the t-shirt selling booth to attract people to support the second year class.

Now to defend myself, when serving I wore my food-serving plastic gloves in aseptic fashion. I didn’t touch my face with my fingers or sneeze into my hands. I wish there would’ve been hand sanitizer available before I put my gloves on, because serving food hygienically involves a combination of good hand washing and regular glove changes.  We only had one server touching food directly (handing out burger buns) and everyone else used a utensil such as a spoon, knife or tongs to serve food along with gloves. During the slower parts of the afternoon, I would take breaks to chat with people and often drift over to see the birds, Monty and Apple (right). They are very charming little creatures, so I took full advantage of holding them and kissing them (glove-free).  

Lo and behold, who shows up to Cat town but my food-safety boss Doug Powell. He eyes my classmate and I suspiciously as we hold the birds on our fingers and give them kisses on the beak, all while enjoying burgers and cake (pretty much doing everything the CDC recommends avoiding).  Amy and Sorenne got an especially close look at the birds. In the background Doug said, “Keep that Salmonella factory away from my baby.” There’s the Doug I know, always thinking about the potential pathogens.

Later in the afternoon I chatted with my classmate about her food safety practices with the birds. She goes on to tell me that she frequently consumes food around her birds, and has never had any sickness in the past that could be related to the birds. While feeding the birds potatoes salad from her own fork, she tells me that she may have gotten Salmonella from them in the past, but she’s been around them so much that her body may have developed a tolerance to the bacterium. She has never has them tested to see if they carry Salmonella in their feces, though most birds do.

I’m thankful that my classmate has never had any sickness related to her birds, but that may not be the case for the rest of the nation. The young, elderly and other immunocompromised individuals are most likely to contract a zoonotic disease when handling pets. Practicing good food safety habits such as washing your hands thoroughly and cooking your meat to the proper temperature can help reduce the risk of food borne disease. Also, don’t kiss animals to allow them to lick your face, especially not in front of your boss.

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Washing your hands everyday, year round, regardless of the week is important, but since it is International Clean Hands Week, I am reminding all barfblog readers to wash their hands. It is essential to wash your hands before and after food preparation, after bathroom use, after coughing or sneezing, and once just because it’s International Clean Hands Week.

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“It looks pretty sweet. It looks awesome. That suit, it’s incredible.”

One of the best lines from the movie, Napolean Dynamite, and one that came to mind when I read about a New Zealand study that found 18 per cent of people at a hospital used a hand sanitizer.

We found 17 per cent of students during a norovirus outbreak at the University of Guelph used a prominently displayed hand sanitizer back in 2006.

Maybe that’s just the rate of people paying attention to handwashing. Who knows about these things? Our study was written up in the Chronicle of Higher Education today, with Ben making lots of pithy quotes.

The 2009 New Zealand study appeared in Eurosurveillance this morning and the abstract is below.

The hand hygiene behaviours of the public in response to the current H1N1 influenza pandemic 2009 (or other pandemics) have not previously been described. An observational study was undertaken to examine hand hygiene behaviours by people passing a hand sanitiser station in the foyer of a public hospital in New Zealand in August 2009. Of the 2,941 subjects observed, 449 (18.0%, 95% confidence interval: 16.6, 19.6) used the hand sanitiser. This is a far from optimal result in response to the health promotion initiatives in the setting of a pandemic. These findings suggest the need for more effective health promotion of hand hygiene and also provide baseline measurements for future evaluation of hygiene practices.
 

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Brae Surgeoner, Doug and I had a paper published in the September 2009 Journal of Environmental Health about some research we conducted in the Winter of 2006. The study came about because a whole bunch of kids in the University of Guelph's residence system started puking from an apparent norovirus outbreak. There were lots of handwashing signs up and we wanted to know whether they changed hygiene behavior (especially if kids were using the tools available when entering the cafeteria). Turns out that the kids weren't doing as good of a job at hand hygiene as they reported to us.

NC State's press release is below (the Kansas State release is here):

As public health experts warn of potential widespread outbreaks of H1N1 flu this school year, a new study from North Carolina State University shows that students do not comply with basic preventative measures as much as they think do. In other words, the kids aren’t washing their hands.

“Hand washing is a significant preventative measure for many communicable diseases, from respiratory diseases like H1N1 to foodborne illness agents, such as norovirus,” says Dr. Ben Chapman, assistant professor of family and consumer sciences and food safety extension specialist at NC State. The new study, which examined student compliance with hand hygiene recommendations during an outbreak of norovirus at a university in Ontario, finds that only 17 percent of students followed  posted hand hygiene recommendations – but that 83 percent of students reported that they had been in compliance. Norovirus causes gastrointestinal problems, including vomiting and diarrhea. Every year there are 30 to 40 outbreaks of norovirus on university campuses, affecting thousands of students.

Chapman, who co-authored the research, says this is the first study to observe student hygiene behavior in the midst of an outbreak. Previous studies examined self-reporting data after an outbreak – and the new research shows that the self-reporting data may be inaccurate.

“Typically, health officials put up posters and signs and rely on self-reporting to determine whether these methods are effective,” Chapman says. “And people say they are washing their hands more. But, as it turns out, that’s not true.

“The study shows that while health authorities may give people the tools we think they need to limit the spread of an outbreak, the information we’re giving them is not compelling enough to change their behavior. Basically, it doesn’t work. But we do it again with every outbreak, and we’re doing it now with H1N1.”

Chapman says the study shows that health officials need to target specific audiences, such as students in a particular dorm or who eat at a particular cafeteria, and tailor their information to those audiences. For example, telling them where the nearest washrooms are, or pointing out where hand sanitizer units are located. “The more specific the information is for an audience, the better off you are,” Chapman says.

Chapman adds that health authorities also need to use language appropriate to their target audience. “For example, don’t refer to something as a ‘gastrointestinal illness,’” he says, “instead, tell them ‘this could make you puke’ or ‘dude, wash your hands.’ The idea is to craft compelling messages that create discussion in that audience. Make them talk about it.”

Chapman also says that health officials should take advantage of social media, such as text messaging and Facebook, to raise awareness. “If your audience consists of students,” he explains, “you should use media that students use.

“Campuses need to expect outbreaks will happen and plan accordingly. Have the response tools in hand.”

The study, “University Students’ Hand Hygiene Practice During a Gastrointestinal Outbreak in Residence: What They Say They Do and What They Actually Do,” was co-authored by Chapman, Dr. Douglas Powell of Kansas State University and Brae Surgeoner, a former graduate student at the University of Guelph. The study was published in the September issue of the Journal of Environmental Health.

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It was so confusing when I was in France: do you kiss anyone on the cheek or just friends; two pecks or three (the further south, the greater the frequency of the tri-peck). I usually defaulted to a handshake, but after a fabulous lunch with tons of great wine at a chateau near Bordeaux where I had unlimited Internet access for the first time in two weeks, I gave the dude a bi-peck at the train station – we had just met, and he was a little taken aback (that’s me and the dude at a wedding in Montreal a couple of months later 2007, right, below; look at that suit).

Now, according to  Associated Press, the French tradition of "la bise," the cheek-to-cheek peck that the French use to say hello or goodbye, has come under pressure from a globalized threat: swine flu.

Some French schools, companies and a Health Ministry hotline are telling students and employees to avoid the social ritual out of fear the pandemic could make it the kiss of death, or at least illness, as winter approaches.

For kids in two schools in the town of Guilvinec, in France's western Brittany region, the first lesson of the year came from local officials: no more cheek kisses to teachers or other students.

The national government isn't calling for a ban. But the Health Ministry, on its swine flu phone hotline, recommends that people avoid "close contact — including shaking hands and giving the bise."
 

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Michelle Marcotte (bottom, exactly as shown), an ex-pat Canadian and regulatory affairs consultant based in Glenn Dale, Maryland, who has worked in 40 countries, eaten well, but carefully, and never been sick, writes:

My husband was born lacking the barbecue gene on his Y chromosome; so it is up to me to either cook or fetch barbecue. Here, in the steam bath that is Maryland in the summer, sensible people fetch barbecue from a roadside truck or trailer.

Barbecue is slow cooked pork ribs, chicken or brisket. It is cooked over a wood flame, on a grill. The grill is placed down the length of a converted home heating oil tank which has been turned on its side, cut open and hinged to form a lid. When the lid of the tank is down, the resulting oven is as hot as hell.

Since barbecue is a necessity of life, I watch for a smoking truck or van parked by the side of the road. A line of cars parked on the verge and the intoxicating smell of barbecue are evidence of other barbecue-addicted persons getting a hit.

So, this week, while waiting for my whole chicken to slowly cook, I thought to observe the food safety of these itinerant barbecue kings. It is a two-person operation: the cook and the boss. You give your order to the boss and he yells to the cook to start the selection process. You stand in line and wait, unable to speak because your mouth is watering.

The cook uses a very long-handled fork to move the dripping raw, marinated meat from the cooler to the grill and then, using exceptional genius, moves the meat around the flame, placing it in various positions sufficient to result in slow-cooked deliciousness. The raw meat and chicken juice drips on the almost done and finished cooked meat on the grill. But, after each addition of raw meat, that lid comes down for a few minutes, the smoke comes up, the heat waves distort the air for 4-5 feet above the tank. I pray it is enough to kill the bacteria spread from the raw chicken over the cooked meat.

The boss takes his long handled fork and spears the meat that the cook has placed on the front of the grill. He whacks it down on the cutting board that has been in use from early morning. He puts disposable gloves on, and chops the chicken into quarters, the ribs into halves and the brisket into slices. He places it all in a foil-lined Styrofoam take-out box. He slathers it with barbecue and hot sauce. He then takes the gloves off, takes your money, puts new gloves on and starts over with the next customer.

In this scenario there was no handwashing, not even a pretense of handwashing. There was no tub of water on the trailer. The nearest meat thermometer is 10 miles away. And that’s how it is when you have a barbecue addiction. You take risks.

You take the barbecue home and eat it promptly, praying to the foodsafety gods

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Bradley Corporation, leading manufacture of commercial bathroom and locker room furnishings, released a national survey confirming H1N1 virus has not changed handwashing habits of Americans. Approximately 54 per cent of surveyed individuals said they “wash their hands no more or less frequently” since H1N1 flu virus has emerged.

Jon Dommisse, Bradley Corporation’s director of marketing and product development said, “we were extremely surprised by that response especially since the medical community calls hand washing the best defense against the spread of cold and flu viruses.”

Handwashing is recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Washing your hands “is a simple thing to do and it’s the best way to prevent infection and illness.”

The online survey was administered July 28-31 to 1,020 Americans regarding handwashing in public restrooms. Individuals were from across the country, equally male and female, and ranged from 18-65+ years old.

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Those ubiquitous signs, “Employees Must Wash Hands” probably don’t have the desired effect. Jon Stewart says, they sure ain’t keeping the piss out of your Happy Meals.

Some people have told us images like the one below, are too graphic and will offend people. Maybe. I’m offended that people don’t wash their hands which can lead to other people barfing and spreading things like the H1N1 virus. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control seems to agree, and has called for new food safety messages using new media.

So with all those germ factories … I mean students … returning to the confined quarters of residence living, here’s some tips for not barfing:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

• If you are sick with flu-like symptoms, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone. Keep away from others as much as possible.

• Wash your hands often especially after you cough or sneeze.  Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective, but are best used after proper handwashing.

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I’ve waited a whole month for this Saturday to roll around. For weeks, I’ve been rinsing, drying, crushing, and collecting our cans, bottles, and boxes in anticipation. This Saturday is the day the county picks up our recycling. I have to drive my tubs to the library parking lot, but I don’t mind. I’m happy to be counted among those who choose to waste less. This reflects one particular side of my personality.

Another side is evident when I wash my hands: I soap up my palms and fingertips. I get between my fingers and up my wrists. After I rinse away the soap, I dry them thoroughly.

And this is the point where the two collide: When I go to dry my hands (and am not at home where clean cloth towels are available), I always reach for the paper towels over a blow dryer.

I know many trees are felled in the making of single-use paper towels, but blow dryers are disgusting: They collect microbes that may have been aerosolized when the toilet was flushed and then blow them onto your hands.

At least, most blow dryers do. HACCP Australia thinks the Dyson Airblade hand dryer can effectively dry hands without recontamination.

Australia Food News reports that the Dyson Airblade is the first hand dryer to be approved for use in food handling areas. AFN explains,

“Using high velocity sheets of unheated air, hands are dried in just ten seconds while, at the same time, 99.9% of bacteria and mould is removed from the air using HEPA filtration…The dryer, unlike conventional warm air hand dryers, does not blow bacteria back onto freshly washed hands nor use a heating element that can induce bacterial growth.”

As an added ecological bonus, the Dyson Airblade uses up to 80 per cent less energy compared with conventional hand dryers.

“Recently unveiled in Australia, the Dyson Airblade hand dryer has already had local success by receiving a New Product Award at its first public launch. It has now been introduced in food manufacturing areas at Cargill’s, Kellogg’s, Fletcher’s International, KFC, Tabro Meats, Wingham Beef and George Weston Food’s Tip Top bakeries, as well as a number of kitchens at McDonalds Restaurants.”

Until these are available in all the kitchens and public bathrooms I visit (and the data shows up on their microbial safety), I try to strike a balance between food safety and eco-friendliness: I use one paper towel to its fullest (two, if necessary), and avoid grabbing a handful out of assumption that they’ll be needed.

I hate assumptions.
 

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I have been sick the past few days. I am not sure what caused it, where I contracted the illness, but I am sick. In my mind, this reiterates the need for everyone to wash his or her hands.

A recent study co-authored by William Burkhardt, a food virologist and microbiologist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),  explains that more than half of food service workers do not wash their hands before returning to work.

In an article by the Quad-City Times, foodborne illnesses can happen anywhere and they are easy to transmit:

Norovirus, hepatitis A and E. coli, another gastrointestinal infection, are the most common food-borne illnesses involving restaurants, Burkhardt said. Norovirus, like hepatitis A, is spread by fecal matter on food products that are then ingested by unaware patrons. However, the hepatitis A symptoms might not show up for 10-14 days while those with norovirus know much more quickly, in as little as 12 hours after ingestion.

Those who ingest the hepatitis A virus need only a few particles to eventually become ill, according to the microbiologist. "Oftentimes, a hundred million of these viral particles are present in a gram of fecal material," he said.

Even a small piece of fecal matter on a person's hand can transmit the germs, especially to salads, uncooked food items or in ice. The virus is killed during proper cooking.

To prevent the spread of foodborne illness food service workers should abide by proper handwashing and proper glove usage.

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At the Manhattan, KS Farmer’s Market on Saturday, Chefs Bryan and Sarah Severns demonstrated cooking with local ingredients. At their cooking station, you could find an array of utensils, several cutting boards (separate ones for raw and cooked meats and vegetables—no cross-contamination), hand sanitizer, and a three-bucket washing station.

The purpose of their demonstration was to show a variety of recipes with ingredients found at the market. Samples were provided; they were delicious. Since it is recommended to wash your hands prior to eating, the chefs had hand sanitizer available for patrons.

Bryan commented on their cooking at the market as being more of food art than food porn. Both Bryan and Sarah will return to the market for another demonstration August 1.

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A smile came to my face while walking the aisles of the Kansas City farmers’ market. A very nice lady selling oils, jams, and other goodies was wearing gloves, that she frequently changed, and had hand sanitizer for customers to use prior to tasting her delicious dips. My friend and I spent approximately two hours roaming the river-market area looking for various items and this particular booth was the only one to provide hand hygiene materials. Locally grown food doesn’t mean safer food, especially if your hands are dirty; wash your hands prior to eating and after handling unwashed produce.

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Catherine Zeta-Jones gives good garnish.

After working undercover for a week at a posh Manhattan restaurant in preparation for an upcoming role, the owner told People magazine that Zeta-Jones was, "a great garnisher. Drizzling oil and balsamic on plates - she does a nice job."

I wrote that two years ago, but now that the movie, No Reservations, is in heavy rotation on the movie channels (always on in the background) I can finish the story.

Two years ago I had my own Manhattan garnish moment -- Manhattan, Kansas.

Amy took me to one of those food porn places, where the presentation of the food is sometimes more important than the basics; the kind of place populated by the Matt Dillon character from Saturday Night Live who wrote a book, How to Order Sushi Like a CEO.

The bathrooms in the place accommodate only one person, so I was left standing outside the door. I heard the toilet flush and the door open; out walked the chef; no handwashing.

Amy spent the rest of the night watching the chef, to see what he would touch next. We haven’t been back.

A little more food safety, a little less food porn.

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The National Patient Safety Agency is fighting back media accusations. They’re not literally fighting, like my favorite mother of eight, Kate, and her soon to be ex-husband, Jon. The NPSA is fighting accusations saying they have endorsed the complete removal of alcohol based hand sanitizer from all clinical areas (see barfblog post: Drunk on Sanitation). In fact, the NPSA advocates the use of alcohol based hand sanitizer, but it should be concentrated in specific areas of the hospital (i.e. patient rooms and clinical areas).

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Visitation at Federal Correctional Complex-Forrest City (FCC-FC), Arkansas, has temporarily been suspended, according to the Times-Herald, due to inmates sickened with a “suspected gastrointestinal virus.” R.D. Weeks, executive assistant at FCC-FC explains, “The institution’s medical staff is evaluating and appropriately treating the inmates for the symptoms that appear to dissipate after 48-72 hours.” Weeks continues, “Symptomatic inmates are being tested to determine the exact virus; however, the H1N1 virus is not suspected in these cases.” In addition to visitation limitations, staff and inmates are reminded to adhere to universal precautions, which include frequent handwashing.

Rapper T.I. (Clifford Harris) is serving his jail time at FCC-FC for purchasing illegal firearms and silencers in October 2007. It is unknown if T.I. has been infected with the virus.

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If you have kids, know kids, or consider yourself a kid, singing songs may help increase handwashing. For pre-schoolers, a handwashing song, performed by the Wiggles, to the tune of “Are you sleeping” may help. Although in their music video, the Wiggles use a bowl of water to clean their hands. When washing your hands it is better to use vigorously running water to ensure biological pathogens are scrubbed away. For kids over the age of 5, another song by the Health Promotion Board, Washy Washy Clean, to the tune of “If you’re happy and you know it” may be more appropriate. I am happy and I know it when people of all ages wash their hands.

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In Niles, Michigan, fourteen children, ages 8-10, attended the annual Lakeland Community Hospital’s ‘Take Your Child to Work Day.’ The primary lesson of the tour was emphasizing the hospitals’ top safety precaution: handwashing. JoEllen Gamso, RN, said, “The goal for the event was to identify the many ways that patient and associate safety is maintained in the workplace.” Before and after each department tour, every child was given a golf ball sized amount of hand-sanitizing foam to demonstrate the importance of clean hands.

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My knowledge of foreign languages is limited to high school Spanish and learning while traveling. Thankfully, I have Amy, who translated all these French words into English, so I could understand what I was reading (and French-bites correspondent, Albert Amgar, who sent the story in the first place).

At Local Hospital of Penne-D’Agenais, France, Tuesday, June 16 was dedicated to handwashing. Representatives across all hospital services contributed in the “Clean Hands = Saved Lives” campaign. This included taking a training class, informing the public on handwashing, how handwashing contributes in reducing the risk of germs and soiling, and that handwashing reduces cross-contamination between people and objects. Handwashing is also suggested for the prevention of infectious disease spreading and foodborne illness [don’t eat poop].

Hands should be washed before and after handling food, after using the toilet or changing a diaper, and when taking care of others. Proper handwashing includes using soap, rubbing hands together fiercely, and drying with a paper towel.

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Children’s Memorial Hospital and the Chicago Children’s Choir are teaming up to record a handwashing song. Chicago native Joel Frankel wrote the song, “Wash, Rinse Dry.” The singers will record at SPACE Recording Studio in Evanston. The song and video will be used for patient and staff education. And don’t forget, JJ the puppet will be joining the singers during the recording session.

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I’m taking over the handwashing blogging today while Megan recovers from the devastating 2-1 win by Pittsburgh over Detroit to win Lord Stanley’s cup.

I’m talking about hockey.

And I’m not sure Megan cared, but I did. Amy’s crushed.

Albert Amgar in France just e-mailed me about a new handwashing campaign being run by the French Ministry of Health. There are lots of pretty pictures available at http://www.sante-sports.gouv.fr/dossiers/sante/mission-mains-propres/IMG/pdf/Recap_affiches2.pdf

Albert was kind enough to translate one of the posters – it’s below. His English is a lot better than my French. But in honor of Albert, and Amy the French professor, and Katie who’s in Jemaine and Bret’s hometown of Wellington, New Zealand, I also once again present, Foux da fa fa (below).

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Tuesday’s Oprah had Dr. Oz talking to viewers about the smart patient checklist. Dr. Oz believes there are eight ways to avoid medical mistakes: preventing infection, avoiding wrong-site surgery, not commencing in chitchat, using a high-tech hospital, using a hospital that uses a patient care checklist, using a nationally accredited hospital, knowing the hospital you are using, and being a smart patient.

Preventing infections is straightforward. “You’re in an environment that has sick people in it who have infections themselves,” says Dr. Oz. Also, “It’s so easy to spread to you.”

Asking people to wash their hands before touching you, keeping hand sanitizer near your bedside, and avoiding bacteria-promoting items (flowers and jewelry) will help reduce your chance of getting a hospital-acquired infection. Other helpful tips include asking the doctor or nurse to wash their hands, sanitize their medical equipment (stethescope, sphygmomonometer, etc.), and to clean general patient room equipment (phone, television remote, etc.).

More details about Dr. Oz’s smart patient checklist can be found on Oprah’s website.
 

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Softsoap brand is set to help parents and teachers enforce better handwashing for kids of all ages. Tips (including lesson plans for teachers), posters (specified for ages/grades), and examples to improve and encourage handwashing can be found on the Softsoap brand’s website.

Softsoap brand lists the following tips:
•    start early;
•    make hand washing fun;
•    skip the bar; and,
•    lead by example

Research shows that handwashing is learned at a young age, primarily toilet training age. Making handwashing fun (playing games, singing songs, monogrammed towels, etc.) can also increase the amount of handwashing. Also, says Softsoap, liquid soaps may be easier to use than bar soaps.

 The kids’ page also provides games and coloring pages to encourage handwashing. For example, Seek and Find—a game in which you need to pick the animal who needs to wash their hands.

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I arrived in Kansas City International Airport Saturday evening after a long flight from Rome, Italy. Like many other passengers, once I gathered my belongings from the overhead compartment and the seatback pocket, I headed to the airport bathroom. After I was finished, I washed my hands (just like you’re supposed to) and was delighted to observe what I presumed to be a grandmother and her granddaughter.

“Don’t just slap your hands together, you have to rub them together to get the soap everywhere, then rinse them,” grandma said to granddaughter. It made me smile to know that handwashing is still being taught to the youngsters.

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Megan Hardigree (right) writes,

Research shows that people learn handwashing and other hand hygiene acts at a young age, primarily during toilet training. To support parenting efforts, the Disney Channel’s television show, “Can You Teach my Alligator Manners,” reinforced hand hygiene manners on an episode today. Mikey’s pet alligator, Al, had the Alligator Sniffles. Mikey told Al he should cover his mouth and nose during sneezing and coughing with a tissue and to wash his hands (or paws) with soap and water thoroughly afterward to prevent the spread of germs.

We can all learn from Mikey and Al. Washing hands is not only important, but is necessary to do before and after eating or handling food, before and after using the bathroom, and, especially, when we are sick or have sick-like symptoms (e.g., sneezing, coughing, blowing your nose).

Thank you, Disney, for enforcing hand hygiene in children, and their parents, including my sister-in-law, Jessica, who watches the show everyday with my niece Kolbi Lee (below)

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While Amy, Sorenne and I observed some sort of cross between The Hills and Real Housewives of Somewhere at a poolside party in Scottsdale, Arizona, some 2,300 Kansas State students were graduating this afternoon.

Hand sanitizers were apparently on the agenda as those who convocated were offered hand sanitizer before receiving their degree. The optional offering was apparently designed to ease flu fears. Seems reasonable enough, but do such offerings actually amplify rather than assuage concerns about swine flu, er, H1N1, or any other communicable disease?

If any of the thousands of family and friends who visited Kansas State today had wandered into the student union to use the washroom, they would have seen the sign pictured below. Megan discovered this about a week ago, and three of us read the sign and thought the disinfectant referred to some special kind of handwashing soap. Maybe we’re just handwashing geeks.

So Megan went on an investigative trek that finally led to AFFLAB Antimicrobial Lotion Soap. The company website does not list factual information about their soaps and the germ killing power it may have. In general, antimicrobial and antibacterial soaps do aid in the “eradication of germs” and washing hands properly helps as well. However, if no such soaps are available, non-antimicrobial or non-antibiotic soaps will also clean your hands. During handwashing, the act of rubbing hands vigorously together with soap, creating lather, then rinsing them, is what removes germs (or, for the science nerds, transient flora).

Then Amy looked over my shoulder and said, “the disinfectant is the stuff used to wash the bathroom floors.”

Oops.

I do not know the purpose of the signs, and what message the signs were intended to convey, but they failed. And as Megan said, “ugly, unattractive signs aren’t going to increase hand hygiene.”

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When asked about swine flu – oh, sorry, the H1N1 flu – U.S. President Barack Obama said during his prime-time 100-day press commencement conference that handwashing and staying at home if sick were key to controlling any potential spread of flu.

As we’ve said, proper handwashing with the proper tools -- soap, water and paper towel -- can significantly reduce the number of foodborne and other illnesses, even the emerging swine flu.

The steps in proper handwashing, as concluded from the preponderance of available evidence, are:

• wet hands with vigorously flowing water;

• use enough soap to build a good lather;

• scrub hands vigorously, creating friction and reaching all areas of the fingers and hands for at least 10 seconds to loosen pathogens on the fingers and hands;

• rinse hands with thorough amounts of water while continuing to rub hands; and

• dry hands vigorously with paper towel.

If any of the tools for handwashing are missing, let someone know.

However, even with reminders and access to the proper tools, not everyone will practice good hygiene. Those signs that say, ‘Employees Must Wash Hands’ don’t always work. We’re working in settings like high schools and hospitals to figure out the best way to not only tell people to wash their hands, but to use new media and messages to really compel individuals to wash their hands.

A video is available at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piwl-Mfwc_s

and a poster at
http://fsninfosheets.blogspot.com/2008/02/dude-wash-your-hands.html.

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From the Honolulu Advertiser, 

The state Department of Health is warning restaurant and food establishment owners to beware of a scam letter alerting them of a requirement to purchase and post signs reminding employees to wash their hands.

Initially I thought this might be the work of a concerned citizen, trying to save the public from the dangers of ill food handlers, but the Hawaiian government believes it to be a credit card scam.

The letter contains an official looking state of Hawaii logo, claims that a new law mandates the display of hand-washing posters and threatens fines for those not in compliance…The DOH has no such requirement for mandatory hand-wash signage, and owners or managers of food establishments should disregard the notice.


 

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Jersey represent.

Barfblogger and Franklin Township Health Department health officer Michele Samarya-Timm (right, not exactly as shown) has been crowned handwashing queen and Health Educator of the Year by the New Jersey Society for Public Health Education.

Patti Elliot, acting director for the Franklin Township Health Department said,

"Michele's enthusiasm for the field of public health is surpassed by no one.”

Samarya-Timm is the only health educator to receive the professional distinction of Diplomate in the American Academy of Sanitarians and has been recognized as an emerging public health leader by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.

In Franklin, Samarya-Timm established a model of the CDC's "It's a SNAP!" handwashing program, created a youth-based pandemic preparedness/handwashing program, and a handwashing/hygiene and illness reporting program for food handlers.

On a national level, Samarya-Timm works with the Food and Drug Administration, United States Department of Agriculture, the CDC and other agencies on establishing timely food safety and food outbreak information to consumers.

 

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According to CanWest News, Canadian government officials, based on internal documents, can't agree on how long to scrub.

Correspondence between senior Ontario and federal bureaucrats obtained under an access to information request reveal disparities in hand washing advice, as discovered by an Ontario health official who surveyed government health websites looking for advice.

The inconsistencies prompted her to muse, "maybe we should have a National consensus meeting on how to wash your hands."

No need to file pondersome information requests. A google search reveals all kinds of differing advice  on how best to wash hands. We’ve come up with our own, but are constantly revising as more information becomes available.

The steps in proper handwashing, as concluded from the preponderance of available evidence, are:

• wet hands with water;
• use enough soap to build a good lather;
• scrub hands vigorously, creating friction and reaching all areas of the fingers and hands for at least 10 seconds to loosen pathogens on the fingers and hands;
• rinse hands with thorough amounts of water while continuing to rub hands; and,
• dry hands with paper towel.

Water temperature is not a critical factor -- water hot enough to kill dangerous bacteria and viruses would scald hands -- so use whatever is comfortable.

The friction from rubbing hands with paper towels helps remove additional bacteria and viruses.

Next time you visit a bathroom that is missing soap, water or paper towels, let someone in charge know. And next time you see someone skip out on the suds in the bathroom, look at them and say, “Dude, wash your hands!”

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Marcia Patrick, director of infection prevention and control for a health system in the state of Washington (and a spokeswoman for the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology), pointed out in the Washington Post this month,

"All the different things we touch in the regular course of our day can contain germs,” including grocery cart handles.

I tend to refer them as “pathogens,” but I agree: they’re everywhere. As such, I was quite excited to have my first experience with grocery cart wipes.

I, an avid user of lemon-scented disinfecting kitchen wipes, noticed a little stand in my local grocery store about a year ago that held a container of sanitizing wipes to use on the handle of the cart after the cart’s previous user (or user’s child) was done sneezing/coughing/drooling/chewing on it.

That container was empty for my entire senior year of college.

But last night, while shopping in a new location, I spotted another stand—this one complete with pre-moistened wipes! (That's my husband, at right, wiping the cart handle.)

And they were certainly moist; I spent the rest of my shopping experience getting disinfecting juice on my grocery list.

Perhaps one wipe is intended to sanitize an entire cart, rather than just the handle…

Washing your hands is extremely important to avoid getting sick. Drying is an essential aspect.

Pathogens stick better to wet hands (and grocery cart handles). Drying them after washing will significantly reduce what you may pick up.

Paper towels are the ideal tools, as all handwashing agents are more effective when a paper towel is used for drying. (See Doug's quote in a USA Today article that ran yesterday.)

Blow dryers are just disgusting. They collect pathogens that may have been aerosolized when the toilet was flushed and blows them onto your hands. (Yet another instance where ecological friendliness does not equate to microbiological safety.)

E-mail me for the refs, if you’d like. And don’t eat poop, people: Dry your freshly-washed hands and grocery carts.

 

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Michéle of Jersey’s own Franklin Township Health Department – represent – writes in this guest blog that her Christmas shopping for 2009 (yes, 2009) is well on its way.  

As I get creative with my gifts, I often find things that put a fun spin on gift giving – while still spreading a positive handwashing message.

So whether you are thinking of next year’s holidays…or very belatedly catching up on this one, perhaps some unique musings on present possibilities may help you give the gift of health to your loved ones.   

Consider the following:

(1) The Florida Department of Health encourages giving the Gift of Wellness to your local school.
The “Perfect Classroom Gift” includes tissues, hand sanitizer, antibacterial soap and hand wipes.  Don’t have a kid in school?….Seems that these items (and their active use) would be a perfect gift to combat any office hacking, sniffling, wheezing and dripping.

(2) Fisher Price has a doll that pees (nothing unusual there),  poops (yup, dolls do that too) and  talks about handwashing??! The company touts:   Just like a real toddler, the Gotta Go Doll goes both “number 1” (and “number 2!”) on her very own small potty, but, unlike real toddlers, there is no mess and no water—just realistic sights and sounds! The doll can flush and knows to wash her hands.   I played with it in Kmart...she really does say I gotta wash my hands.

Wow.

Now only if a toy manufacturer can create a toy to teach adults to handwash.

(3) Are you a creative sort?  How about spending those cozy winter evenings stitching a decorative handwashing reminder?  Handcrafted items still surely are treasured gifts…and these may help put all those guest soaps to good use.

(4) How do you handle those who wish a gift of good old fashioned cash?  You can give a gift of soap with an unknown denomination of currency inside…the best way to ensure that the recipient won’t play with dirty money.

(5)  Want something a little more fun?  How about buying (or making) real working snowglobes made of soap?  I don’t know what happens when you lather your way to the center…but certainly will be good clean fun to find out.

(6) Sending greetings electronically?  The California Department of Public Health and the UC Men’s Octet has an extended play holiday handwashing jingle and video that will have you singing at the sink all winter long.

(7) Is handwashing humor more your style?   Clip handwashing comics all year long for a happy handwashing montage. Or search the Internet for some handwashing humor from up and coming artists.  Here’s a start.

(8) Reading this blog?  Then you must buy quantities of the Don’t Eat Poop shirt for yourself and loved ones. (Thank me later, Doug!) Don't Eat Poop shirts come in four of the hippest languages around: English, Chinese, French and Spanish. They are a bargain at $20 per shirt (who can put a price on spreading the message of safety?) and come in a variety of sizes.  Somehow I think infant and toddler sizes may not be too far off. 

But the best gift of all only takes 20 seconds…so wash your hands (with soap!), and enjoy a Healthier New Year.

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Handwashing compliance has been identified as a significant factor in reducing foodborne, hospital-acquired and other infectious disease. People say they wash their hands, but often don’t. Our goal is to develop evidence-based, culturally-sensitive messages using a variety of media to compel individuals to practice good handwashing in numerous settings, and to accurately evaluate the effectiveness of different approaches.

That’s a bunch of projects – and we’re looking for a bunch of people with diverse skills. Whatever your background, from microbiology to psychology, as long as you have excellent communication skills and can work both independently and collaboratively, we’re interested in chatting with you. Undergraduate or graduate students, if you’re interested – passionate – about compelling individuals to wash their hands and enhance public health, please contact Dr. Kate Stenske at kstenske@vet.ksu.edu, or Dr. Doug Powell at dpowell@ksu.edu.

Don’t eat poop – wash your hands.
 

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Researchers in Britain have supposedly concluded that people who clean themselves are less judgmental and are more likely to be lenient before making such judgments.

The team at Plymouth University took 22 people who had washed their hands and 22 who had not, and made them watch a disgusting scene from the film 'Trainspotting,' about heroin addicts. They were then asked to rate how morally wrong a series of actions were on scale of one to nine, with one being acceptable and seven being wrong.

Lead researcher Dr Simone Schnall said,

"We like to think we arrive at decisions because we deliberate, but incidental things can influence us. This could have implications when voting and when juries make up their minds.”

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PhD student Ben Chapman excitedly sent me this picture last night of baby barf. First-time parents get excited about things like that, along with the color, frequency and aroma of baby poop.

First-time parent-to-be Amy got excited last night as I got to display my story-telling skills at the last pre-natal class of parents-to-be. The instructor asked for a volunteer, and someone volunteered me as the “most experienced” which meant, “the old guy.”

The book was Robert Munsch’s 1986, Love You Forever, one of the most popular children’s books ever, with some 8 million copies sold (my kids preferred The Paper Bag Princess, while I preferred Good Families Don’t, because it’s about farts).

I gave an animated telling of the story, complete with bad singing, based on years of practice, and because I’d seen Guelph-resident Munsch tell the story a few times. That was 20 years ago, and I was wearing the same hoodie (left)

Seeing as it’s Global Handwashing Day and in keeping with the kiddie theme, I note “United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Goodwill Ambassadors, The Wiggles, have created a catchy tune to help motivate millions of children worldwide to transform the mundane act of handwashing into an enjoyable habit, thereby improving hygiene and reducing the risk of disease.”

Here’s my parenting approach: kid, wash your damn hands.

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Michéle Samarya-Timm, of the Franklin Township Health Department in New Jersey writes:

Take a moment to look down at your hands. Are they clean? How about the hands of the person sitting next to you? Or the hands of the person shaking your hand, fixing your sandwich, caring for your child?

Increasing the practice of handwashing with soap is the international goal of the World Health Organization with the first-ever Global Handwashing Day, scheduled for Wednesday, October 15, 2008.

Handwashing with soap is an exceptionally efficacious and cost-effective health intervention, but one that is often considered trivial in our busy, hectic lives. Repeated observational studies show that many people don’t wash their hands as often or as thoroughly as they should. If conscientious handwashing can prevent you (and your loved ones!) from experiencing the inconvenience of vomiting and diarrhea, or reduce your risk for skin infections, eye infections, intestinal worms, and other communicable diseases, isn’t it worth it?

The challenge of Global Handwashing Day is to transform handwashing with soap from an abstract good idea into an automatic behavior performed in homes, schools, workplaces and communities. Turning handwashing with soap before eating and after using the toilet into an ingrained habit could save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention, cutting deaths from diarrhea by almost half and deaths from acute respiratory infections by one-quarter. In short, handwashing with soap could save 1 million lives per year.

Today and everyday you can make a difference. Speak up if a restroom is not adequately supplied with running water, soap and hand dryers/paper towels. Ask that foodhandler to wash his/her hands before making your sandwich. Most importantly, wash your hands after using the toilet and before you eat. And teach your kids to do the same.

Handwashing with soap is a cornerstone of public health across the globe and here at home. Handwashing with soap reduces disease. It’s cheap. It’s easy. It works to keep you healthy.

On this Global Handwashing Day, help ensure no hand is left behind.
 

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In 2002, Jon Stewart quipped while hosting Saturday Night Live,

“If you think the 10 commandments being posted in a school is going to change behavior of children, then you think “Employees Must Wash Hands” is keeping the piss out of your happy meals. It's not.”

Apparently the signs aren’t working in Ontario hospitals either.

Jim McCarter, the province's auditor general, said in a report tabled in the provincial legislature that the results of a hand-hygiene program piloted in 10 hospitals revealed personnel were complying with the rules of good hand hygiene only 40 to 75 per cent of the time.

Time for new messages.
 

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Nursing homes and senior living centers are always looking for ways to engage residents and to help them feel more at home.  Why not man’s best friend, and other furry friends?

Therapy dogs, cats, pigs, rats, even kangaroos have been brought into nursing homes around the country.  The residents enjoy taking care of the animals and generally spending time in their presence.  Administrators praise the change they see in their residents from an animal visit.  "Animals re-engage people with life," says Loren Shook, who decades ago saw the positive effect of animals on the patients at the psychiatric hospitals where his family worked. Now, as CEO of Silverado, he has instituted a must-have-animals policy at all 17 facilities. "Having animals in our facilities reduces depression and anxiety and reduces the need for psychotropic drugs by 35%."

There have been many reports on how animals have benefited the lives of the elderly in senior centers, but the side effects may have been overlooked.  Zoonoses anyone?

A zoonotic disease is classified as any disease that can be transmitted from animals to people, and vice versa.  There are many different bacterial, parasitic, fungal, protozoal and viral infections that all classify as zoonotic diseases. There is always a degree of risk of disease transmission from any contact with an animal, just as there is from any contact with another person.  Some of the diseases involved are minor or even insignificant, while others are potentially devastating, especially in the immunocompromised.

But wait, many elderly are immunocompromised, does this mean that these companion animals are putting the senior residents at risk?  Unfortuntately yes.  Before bringing a pet into an environment with immunocompromised individuals, all possible precautions should be taken.  The pet should be thoroughly examined each year by a licensed veterinarian for any health issues and to test the temperment of the pet.  Any necessary vaccinations should be given at the time, along with a fecal parasite check to be performed every three months unless it is proven that the pet is on a monthly dewormer.

Pets continue to enrich the lives of both the young and the old, but responsible pet owners should definitely closely monitor their pets for any zoonotic diseases.  Common sense and good hygiene will go a long way toward keeping a pet free of zoonotic diseases. Here are a few simple precautions:
* Wash hands before eating and after handling the pet.
* Schedule annual checkups and fecal exams for the pet; the pet should also always be seen by a veterinarian in the event of an illness.
* Keep all vaccinations current.  (Vaccinations should always be administered by a licensed veterinarian)
* Maintain appropriate flea and tick control.
* Avoid letting the pet lick your face, food utensils, or plate.
* Seek medical attention for bites or scratches caused by a pet.
* Feed the pet cooked or commercially processed food, and clean out the fecal area regularly.

For more resources on zoonotic diseases, visit the Zoonotic Diseases Tutorial or World Health Oganization: Zoonoses and veterinary public health.

Immunocompromised individuals (such as the elderly) should consult with a health care professional about specific concerns with any animals in their care.

Watch out, the pet might just predict your death as well.
 

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Looks like I picked the wrong week to come to Florida.

Actually we didn’t. Our most excellent holiday has been extended thanks to Tropical Storm or Hurricane Fay, which is scheduled to hit us in Florida first thing tomorrow morning. Everything has been canceled, including all flights out of Tampa.

So we’re riding it out.

Amy has been here a couple of times with friends, and my grandfather had a place in nearby Englewood, Florida, for decades. So we are both used to escaping Kansas heat by going to Florida in Aug. when it is completely dead. And Venice – founded as a retirement community by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers in the 1920s – is about as quiet as it gets.

As part of our hurricane preparation, Courtlynn, Amy and I went to the Sarasota aquarium today. After petting the stingrays and others in the fish petting zoo, Amy and Courtlynn dutifully washed their hands in the politically correct handwashing station, which has a sign that says,

“Dryers are provided for an environmentally-conscious choice.”

Handwashing needs soap, running water and paper towel. Save the guilt.

Next was some lunch in St. Armand’s circle on Lido Key, a favorite spot for Amy and me. Shortly after we sat down, Amy asked, “Do you know why there is hand sanitizer on the patio tables and not inside? I bet this is a doggie-friendly restaurant.”

Sure enough, ChaCha Coconuts Tropical Bar and Grill was an approved doggie-friendly dining establishment. Our server said there hadn’t been any problems, most of the dogs in the St. Armand area were tiny, but it was problematic when owners insisted their dogs sit in a chair at the table. She said,

“I have a dog. It sits on the floor. So do these dogs.”

Not everyone in the Tampa area is happy with the doggy dining regs. Richard Bond, owner of Yeoman's Road Pub on Davis Islands, told the Tampa Tribune on Friday that he put up a sign at his restaurant saying that because of the "unreasonable nature" of the pet ordinance, the pub would no longer allow pets on the patio.

"There's a money issue. You have to have a sanitary station. It's too much for me to be dog-friendly. When I got it I said, 'Just another thing for the city of Tampa to try to make a couple of extra bucks.' "

The server at ChaCha’s said being doggy friendly gave them an edge, especially during the economic downturn and the off-season.

There’s media noise. And there’s reality. It’s been strangely bizarre listening to the media histrionics on the Weather Channel and CNN about the approaching Fay, compared with the low-key, been-there-done-that response of the locals.

We’ll get home eventually. Courtlynn is pumped about the manatees and dolphins off the pier … and the new season of the Hills starting tonight.
 

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A woman went up to the bar in a quiet rural pub. She gestured alluringly to the bartender who approached her immediately. She seductively signaled that he should bring his face closer to hers. As he did, she gently caressed his full beard.

'Are you the manager?' she asked, softly stroking his face with both hands. 'Actually, no,' he replied.

'Can you get him for me? I need to speak to him,' she said, running her hands beyond his beard and into his hair.

'I'm afraid I can't,' breathed the bartender.. 'Is there anything I can do?'

'Yes, I need you to give him a message,' she continued, running her forefinger across the bartender's lip and slyly popping a couple of her fingers into his mouth and allowing him to suck them gently.

'What should I tell him?' the bartender managed to say.

'Tell him,' she whispered, 'there's no toilet paper, hand soap, or paper towels in the ladies room.'

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Employees must wash their hands after every break, after cleaning their work area, before entering the production area, before putting on gloves, after shaking hands, after touching a door handle and on it goes. It is so focused on being sanitary that apart from all the previously mentioned instances, a bell goes off every hour, telling employees to wash their hands.

Besides good corporate citizenry, this reflects the law. It ensured McDonalds complied with the B.C. Health Act and the B.C. Centre for Disease Control's Food Protection Guidelines.

But Beena Dat could not comply. A skin condition prevented her from wearing gloves or regularly washing her hands. She went on disability and unsuccessfully attempted to return to work three separate times. Her specialist, Dr. Kit-son, opined he had no doubt, if she attempted to return to work, her "hands would disintegrate in a week." She could not return to any job involving exposure to soap and water, in his view, thereby eliminating "restaurant work of any kind."

Dat complained to the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal who appointed Judy Parrack to decide the case, who decided Mc-Donald's should have cross-examined the specialist rather than taking his medical report at face value.

She also considered whether it was possible pieces of different jobs could have been extracted to create a position Ms. Dat could perform without frequently having to wash her hands.

This is despite Ms. Parrack's acknowledging all jobs at Mc-Donald's require handwashing and, depending on how busy a section is, any position might quickly take over for another.

Notably, Ms. Parrack found McDonald's liable for not attempting to construct such a position and awarded $50,000 in damages, including $25,000 for injury to Ms. Dat's "dignity, feelings and self-respect."

Worst of all, McDonald's was ordered to "cease the discriminatory conduct or similar conduct and refrain from committing such conduct in the future." One might think consumer safety should supercede the right of an employee with unclean hands!

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This week in the podcast we highlight:

• Salmonella - Minnesota
  
• Recent lawsuits relating to recent recalls and outbreaks
  
• Handwashing

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"but we want to do it safely and with the blessings of all the agencies that are involved with the school system."

The "agencies of concern" are

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USA Today

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