HAND HYGIENE
Safe pair of hands Infection-prevention experts often point to hand hygiene as being the first line of defence in the fight to stop diseases from spreading, but signs of complacency in the New Zealand market are leading to calls for smarter hand-hygiene practices Words Cameron Cooper
W
hile New Zealand hygiene experts may still be preaching the importance of hand hygiene, the sales trends at one leading cleaning supplies business paints a different picture. Geoff Hughes, national manager of RapidClean New Zealand, says demand for products such as hand sanitiser, masks and PPE gear have dropped significantly in the past six months as public fears about the pandemic have lessened. 30 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND November 2023
“People are still conscious of infection risks, but in terms of sales the market for things like hand sanitiser and gloves has absolutely reduced,” he says. Hughes adds that the New Zealand Government’s move to drop mandates for protective gear such as masks has had a significant, detrimental impact on sales. “Financial pressures are probably ruling the decision-making (for customers). People are looking to cut costs, so hygiene standards just aren’t receiving the attention they did during the height of COVID-19.”