FACE TO FACE
C&M
allow us to provide employers with the data they need to improve skin care compliance. ‘Highest standards of behaviour’ is a structured education, training and feedback programme we deliver that raises employee awareness of the risks of OSDs, and helps customers to make lasting improvements to skin care through behaviour change. This all forms the basis for our forthcoming DebSafe programme, and delivers a successful mixture of the right products and services.
What is the ethos behind the ‘Make hands matter in the workplace’ branding? When people talk about health and safety in the workplace, there is almost always a focus on the obvious risks - especially in the industrial sector. So the topic often centres on items like hard hats, hi-vis jackets and trip hazards. We are also seeing a lot more engagement around mental health in the workplace, which is great. However, the subject of skin health rarely comes up, and our hands are our connection to the world - particularly in the workplace, where they lead the way. Organisations across every sector should be raising the issue because OSDs are serious problems that go largely unreported by employees who receive little, if any, education on the subject of poor skin health and the major consequences it can have. Our goal is to make sure both employers and employees are aware of just how much hands matter. So we implement skin care programmes that bring together the right products, important information on compliance, and training to encourage employees to take care of their own skin health.
What is next for skin care in the workplace? I think the immediate next step is the implementation of integrated skin health programmes that ensure the four steps of protect, cleanse, sanitise and restore become the norm for employees on a daily basis. We have begun a conversation about the importance of skin health in the workplace, and the goal will be to continue to develop that - making more employers and employees aware of the risks and consequences of OSDs. There is a need to make skin health a priority across every sector. And the next step towards that will be to educate and train employees about why compliance is vital - for them and their employers.
What developments can we expect to see at Deb both as a business and within its product offering - during the next three to five years? For more than 80 years we have been at the forefront of research into skin care products and dispensing systems, and you can expect that to continue long into the future. We have a reputation for ‘world firsts’, and we consistently invest more in R&D than any other occupational skin care specialist. There are a number of innovations we are pursuing that will improve skin health in the workplace while strengthening our position as a market leader. Over the next three to five years, we will continue to develop our ‘Make hands matter’ programme - creating new education tools that help change the way employers and employees think about skin health. We will back this up with even more sophisticated technology and tools to improve the way workplaces are able to monitor hand hygiene and skin health compliance. Our goal is to create a culture of effective skin care in every workplace and every development or innovation will contribute to achieving that aim.
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