Keys, wallet, hand sanitiser. The essentials we’ve all become accustomed to when leaving the house on a day-to-day basis.
But what if you’re attending a big event in a busy space with lots of fellow patrons and high-touch spots? We know that hygiene is the foundation of health – it’s highlighted as one of the world’s largest problems in our strategy – so when it comes to making large events safe, that’s where we come in.
Hear from some of our experts on how we’re driving superior execution by using our scientific expertise to deliver superior germ protection and break the chain of infection.
Dr Lisa Ackerley, Director of Medical & Scientific Engagement, Hygiene
Our risk assessment process - that was also used at COP26 – is based on scientific evidence and has been assessed and endorsed by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
When we first join a project, we carry out a detailed analysis of the locations and high touch surfaces, inputting all of the necessary information into our risk assessment calculator. Using this, we can then work out the frequency and timing of not only what but also when to clean and disinfect. These two components are critical because they form part of Targeted Hygiene, which considers how we can make the biggest difference with the minimum amount of intervention, intervening at the times and places when it will really make a difference.
Katy Slater, Regulatory Director – New Growth Platforms
We follow the different journeys of those involved in the event to really understand how people move through the space. We identify the high-touch hot spots and build up the journey of the germs. If a pathogen is introduced from someone’s hands, what are they going to touch and where is it going to spread?
We give an overall risk rating of the site and use this to determine what interventions are needed to break the chain of infection. For example, hand sanitiser dispensers, hand washing stations or a surface intervention like wiping the area.
The risk rating also means we can work out the frequency of cleaning required. A higher risk space will need more cleaning than a lower risk space. We then work with cleaning companies to implement our protocols, to make sure we keep visitors safe and break the chain of infection using Dettol, throughout the event.
Nikki Collinson, R&D Manager
When it comes to the hand sanitiser in our dispensers, we make sure we’re providing a product that people enjoy using. It’s got to feel good on the skin, smell nice and leave your hands feeling moisturised as well as sanitised.
We work on our placement of the dispensers to make sure we’re targeting high risk points with hygiene interventions. For example, encouraging people to sanitise before they eat, after they’ve touched a frequently used surface or before they sit down to watch a game at events like the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games because they’re more likely to be touching their face.
We’ve also learned through research with behaviour scientists about the best placement of hand sanitising stations. If you put a sanitiser dispenser on the right side of a walkway, it’s going to be used more than it would be if placed on the left. We’re always looking at new behaviours and communications to increase the frequency of usage. We’ve also installed talking dispensers for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games to trial whether verbal prompts encourage increased usage.
Stuart Bainbridge, Global R&D Director, New Growths Platforms
As a sports fan, it’s been a privilege supporting the safe return of large events and Dettol’s hygiene partnership with the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
For the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, we translated our science protocols into easy-to-understand instructions for cleaning staff and contractors. We then held a training day with key stakeholders, running through the science and explaining the hygiene protocols they would be delivering.
We’ll be continually reviewing these protocols during the Games.
You can read more here.
Jonathan Weiss, Business Solution Commercial Director – Europe
We want to help create lasting hygiene behaviours. We work with businesses and public figures - such as athletes as part of our partnership with the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games - to develop public service announcements and materials that help to create better handwashing and sanitising habits, reminding people of when they need to do this on the go.
Find out more about our partnership with the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.