By Healthcare Facilities Today

Ecolab introduces Nexa, a new hand hygiene dispensing platform that makes it easier to promote good hand-washing practices and reduce the spread of infectious diseases in healthcare, foodservice, hospitality, long-term care and commercial facilities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 80 percent of all infections are transmitted by hands, and hand washing is the single most effective way to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. Failing to sufficiently wash one's hands significantly contributes to the spread of foodborne illness outbreaks and also to the 1.7 million hospital-acquired infections that occur in the U.S. each year. A June 2013 study by Michigan State University found that only 5 percent of those observed in public washrooms washed their hands long enough to remove dangerous bacteria.

"The reasons for poor hand hygiene can range from individuals not fully understanding the health risks to feeling they are too busy," says Dr. Andy Cooper, vice president of Research, Development & Engineering at Ecolab. "We've designed Nexa to deliver on key aesthetic and functionality needs, while being flexible and simple to use in our varying customer locations. Nexa also incorporates key design elements that meet our customers' unique needs, such as creating an antimicrobial push bar for the manual dispenser to help inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew."

The innovative Nexa platform can dispense an array of Ecolab hand hygiene products, including liquid and foam hand soaps, lotions, hand sanitizers and body shampoos, all from the same unit, making changing of products easy. Depending upon the product used, Nexa dispensers can be installed near commercial kitchen sinks, in restrooms and public spaces of commercial buildings, and at nurses' stations, in patient rooms and in public areas of healthcare facilities.

Nexa's simple design meets ADA guidelines and offers many benefits, including: 

• Easy product identification through optional color-coded badges and language-free icons 

• Adjustable dosing to meet customer and staff needs 

• Compact dispensers to fit tight spaces 

• Better inventory management through the ability to hold both large and small product bottles, which fit into both the manual and touch-free units 

• Less waste through patented pumps that dispense up to 99 percent of product 

• Greater sustainability through the use of HDPE-recyclable materials

As part of the Ecolab's hand hygiene program, customers receive regular service visits, customized planning, placement support, ongoing inventory monitoring and free installation that is compliant with fire codes and ADA guidelines. In addition, expert training is offered on proper hand hygiene practices, product and equipment use, and awareness materials are available to help inform and encourage staff to keep hand hygiene top of mind.