Studies have shown that neglecting to comply with hand hygiene practices is a significant contributor to outbreaks in the healthcare field — but when hand hygiene improved, the prevalence of infections decreased. According to the CDC, keeping clean hands reduces the risk of transmitting organisms to patients and healthcare personnel. In fact, it is a primary measure against the spread of pathogens. Here are the CDC’s recommendations for when you should practice hand hygiene methods:

• Before and after treating each patient (e.g., before glove placement and after glove removal).
• After barehanded touching of inanimate objects likely to be contaminated by blood, saliva, or respiratory secretions.
• Before leaving the dental operatory.
• When hands are visibly soiled. Before regloving, after removing gloves that are torn, cut, or punctured.
• For oral surgical procedures, perform surgical hand antisepsis before donning sterile surgical gloves.

The BootieButler Automatic Shoe Cover System can reduce the risk of hand contamination through the second recommendation. Shoe bootie covers are inanimate objects that are likely to be contaminated by blood, saliva, respiratory secretions, and anything that finds its way onto the floor of a healthcare facility. Without a hands-free applicator and remover, healthcare workers have to touch their feet to remove their shoe covers, putting themselves at risk for hand contamination. With the BootieButler system, workers won’t have to touch their shoe booties at all — keeping their hands free from contaminants and creating a cleaner work environment overall. Check out our videos page to see the hands-free applicator in action!