Scientists in Yorkshire are rolling out 'smart' hand sanitising machines in workplaces to gather data on hygiene

The 'smart' sanitising machines are being trialled across the country as part of the studies by the Universities of Sheffield and Leeds, in the hopes of helping employers to control the spread of Covid-19.

Developed by British hand hygiene technology company, Savortex, the machines have integrated video machines and can provide real-time data on how often people are using them and even send reminders to employees to sanitise their hands.

The machines also send alerts when they need refilling to prevent a lapse in hygiene measures.

Using the data from the trials, researchers at both universities are hoping they will be able to analyse the machines' effectiveness and ultimately how employers can safely reintroduce people back into office spaces.

Dr Sophie Rutter, from the University of Sheffield's Information School, said: "We know good hand hygiene is effective at stopping transmission of Covid-19, so this project will help us find solutions to ensure office environments are safe and clean, and play their part to stop the spread.

“In many sectors, such as healthcare, staff are compelled as part of their job to clean their hands regularly for obvious reasons of patient safety. But as we don’t really know what motivates people to wash their hands in office spaces, it can be difficult and expensive for employers to run health and safety campaigns to encourage people to follow health and safety guidance."

The Covid-19 pandemic has meant the majority of non-essential workers now work from home, with many people wary of the health risks of returning to public offices.

Dr Rutter added: “It is so important that people adopt the highest hand hygiene standards if we are to reduce the impact of Covid-19 on our daily lives, so empowering employers to create a healthy and safe environment for everyone is not only necessary, it will also improve the well-being of all by reducing the risk of virus transmission in our workplaces.”

Nicholas Gill, from Savortex, said: “The research previously done by the universities into how the right messaging could help school children improve their hand washing, inspired us to see how we could use our technology to battle the pandemic by encouraging best-practice in hand hygiene in the workplace.

“The pandemic has been the catalyst for rapid development of new and novel solutions to help stop the spread of Covid-19 and empower companies to take control of hygiene management and staff well-being.

"This not only reassures people returning to work that they are in a safe and secure environment, but can also help companies work smarter and more sustainably to keep their staff safe.”

The trials will start in a variety of office locations in the spring, including government departments and corporate head offices.

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