High Speed Hand Washing

Washing hands properly helps save time, water, energy and helps prevent the spread of disease. With High Speed Hand Washing and some practice a group of pre-schoolers to adults can get their hands washed in 5 minutes or less!

In the workplace, High Speed Hand Washing helps save time, water, and energy while meeting food safety industry standards to help prevent the spread of disease. Groups of 20 to 30 people can get their hands washed properly in 5 minutes or less. Perfect for beginning a shift or after breaks. A workplace training video is currently being produced. It will be posted on this site soon.

In school classrooms, gardens or summer programs, students practice good food safety habits with proper hand washing before harvesting produce, or enjoying lunch and snacks.

Classrooms can get their hands washed properly in 5 minutes or less when they practice a few times. Even pre-schoolers, can learn this technique with two weeks of guided practice. One classroom of 2nd graders "hold the record" with 26 students washing their hands properly in 2 minutes and 28 seconds.

Storybooks are used with younger classrooms for literature-based learning, and skits and games engage elementary classrooms through adults with age-related safety messages.

Schools also like High Speed Hand Washing because absences due to illness are reduced. Activities provide academic benchmark opportunities that help students achieve important goals. Grade level adaptations and benchmarks will be posted on this site soon.

Lessons for the High Speed Hand Washing technique can be adapted for a wide variety of audiences. See resources, below.

High Speed Hand Washing at Work - Mini-posters

Choose signs for your workplace from these options: bilingual, English, Spanish, color or grayscale. Post the High Speed Hand Washing steps near the hand washing sink or portable hand washing station to serve as a reminder for proper hand washing technique.

High Speed Hand Washing - Adult Workplace/COVID-19 Mini-Poster, color bilingual

Adult Workplace/COVID-19 Mini-Poster, color, bilingual.

Lauren Kraemer, Glenda Hyde | Jun 2020 | Fact Sheet Peer reviewed (Gray level)

High Speed Hand Washing - Adult Workplace/COVID-19 Mini-Poster, color English

Mini-posters are recommended to be used with the High Speed Hand Washing Adult Workplace/COVID-19 Training Guide. Choose the option(s) that best meet your needs. Post them near the sink or portable hand washing station.

Spanish: Lavado de manos de alta velocidad - Póster para adultos, color español

Lauren Kraemer, Glenda Hyde | Jun 2020 | Fact Sheet Peer reviewed (Gray level)

High Speed Hand Washing - Adult Workplace/COVID-19 Mini-Poster, grayscale bilingual

Adult Workplace/COVID-19 Mini-Poster, grayscale bilingual.

Lauren Kraemer, Glenda Hyde | Jun 2020 | Fact Sheet Peer reviewed (Gray level)

High Speed Hand Washing Mini-Poster - Adult Workplace/COVID-19, grayscale English: Adult Workplace/COVID-19 Mini-Poster, grayscale English (Spanish: Lavado de manos de alta velocidad - Póster para adultos, escala de grises, español)

Marketing Flyer - High Speed Hand Washing Information and Resource Links

This 8.5" x 11" marketing flyer intended to promote materials for workplace settings is in English and Spanish. Print it in color, double-sided.

Another function of the Information and Resource Links flyer is to let the farmers know that there is a training video coming soon!

Marketing Flyer

High Speed Hand Washing in Education - Lesson Plans and Tips

The High Speed Hand Washing lesson plans and tips can be used or adapted by educators in schools, preschools, child care settings, education pods, outdoor education programs and homes. Lessons teach the basic technique where groups of hands are lathered up longer, better and quicker. It can be used as a pre-curriculum lesson so food safety practices can be modeled and used during nutrition lessons before food is prepared or served. Adaptations for COVID-19 precautions are included.

High Speed Hand Washing in Early Childhood Lesson Tips in COVID-19

Learning to wash our hands effectively takes practice for children and adults alike. High Speed Hand Washing can be a fun and safe way to help a group of children wash their hands well and quickly while also social distancing. Use these strategies along with the High Speed Hand Washing: How Groups can Wash Better, Faster video and High Speed Hand Washing youth poster (English/Spanish/bilingual) in your home or classroom.

Spanish: Lavado de Manos de Alta Velocidad en la Niñez Temprana Consejos de aprendizaje durante el Covid-19

Shauna Tominey, Glenda Hyde, Lauren Kraemer | Oct 2020 | Fact Sheet Peer reviewed (Gray level)

4th Grade Food Safety Lesson Plan with High Speed Hand Washing

Students who have learned High Speed Hand Washing in previous years revisit food safety with funny skit or game activities. Students review High Speed Hand Washing and practice it in their new classroom groups to get their class time under 5 minutes. Our research with 3rd though 8th graders over seven years shows that food safety practices may slip from year to year, but an engaging food safety activity revives and slightly increases their commitment to proper hand washing. Skits and games that can be adapted for most age groups are listed as Food Safety Activity Supplements.

Glenda Hyde | Jun 2020 | Fact Sheet Peer reviewed (Gray level)

High Speed Hand Washing in Education - Youth Posters

8.5" x 11" mini-posters. Use with youth indoor or outdoor education settings.

High Speed Hand Washing Youth Poster, Bilingual, Color, COVID-19

8.5" x 11" poster. Use in indoor or outdoor education settings.

Lauren Kraemer | Aug 2020 | Fact Sheet

High Speed Hand Washing Youth Poster English_Color COVID-19

8.5" x 11" poster. Use in indoor or outdoor education settings.

Spanish: Lavado de manos de alta velocidad - Póster de estudiantes, español, color COVID-19

Lauren Kraemer | Aug 2020 | Fact Sheet

High Speed Hand Washing Youth Poster Bilingual_Grayscale COVID-19

8.5" x 11" poster. Use in indoor or outdoor education settings.

Lauren Kraemer | Aug 2020 | Fact Sheet

High Speed Hand Washing Youth Poster English_Grayscale COVID-19: 8.5" x 11" poster. Use in indoor or outdoor education settings. (Spanish: Lavado de manos de alta velocidad - Póster de estudiantes, español, escala de grises, COVID-19)

Food Safety Activity Supplements

Once students have learned the basic HSHW technique in primary grades and reinforced with literature-based learning, refresher lessons are provided the following years with a different approach. Using fun, interactive, engaging skits or games help 4th graders and up to remember why it is important to wash their hands properly every time.

Food Safety Activity Supplement - Food Safety on the Farm

Once students have learned the High Speed Hand Washing technique in primary grades and reinforced with literature-based learning, refresher lessons are provided the following years with a different approach. Using fun, interactive, engaging skits or games help 4th graders and up to remember why it is important to wash their hands properly every time. There are plenty of roles in this skit to show the many ways that our actions can be risky for food safety, as the farmer goes about preparing lunch. Lots of laughs and funny situations spark lively discussion afterwards as students point out food safety bloopers during the skit.

Glenda Hyde, Kristi Hiassen | Jun 2020 | Fact Sheet Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Food Safety Activity Supplement - Win, Lose or Wash! skit and game

Students enjoy performing the Sneaky Germ Skit to review proper hand washing for the class. Then, the class enjoys a rousing game of Win, Lose or Wash! affirming key times that you should wash your hands.

Stephanie Russell, Dorian Oppenlander, Glenda Hyde | Jun 2020 | Fact Sheet

High Speed Hand Washing: How Groups can Wash Better, Faster Training Video (early childhood, preschool, primary) Oregon State University Extension

High Speed Hand Washing Teacher Training (preschool, primary). Linda Beech, Kansas State Extension.

High Speed Hand Washing Training for Teachers and Nurses. Gwen Crum, West Virginia University Extension.

Stop Germs: Wash Your Hands

Optional handouts for class participants.

Stop Germs: Wash Your Hands

The role of personal hygiene in preventing foodborne illness. Describes how and why to wash hands. Graphics based, for limited-literacy audiences.

Spanish: Pare los Gérmenes: Lávese las Manos!

Jun 2006 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Stop Germs: Wash Your Hands (Russian translation)

The role of personal hygiene in preventing foodborne illness. Describes how and why to wash hands. Graphics based, for limited-literacy audiences. Text in Russian.

Jun 2006 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

High Speed Hand Washing "Show Me" Session

High Speed Hand Washing "Show Me!" Session

Modeling and practicing good hand washing before serving food samples in nutrition education lessons is time consuming and therefore usually neglected. The High Speed Hand Washing technique was developed to meet a need that could result in improved food safety in the classroom and at home. Classrooms can get their hands washed properly in five minutes or less, increasing students’ food safety awareness and actions. It can also reduce risk of spreading communicable diseases, while conserving water and energy. Presentation at Consumer Food Safety Educators Conference sponsored by the Partnership for Food Safety Education, March 2019.

Glenda Hyde | Jun 2020 | Fact Sheet Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Journal of National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences

Photo: National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences

High Speed Hand Washing Helps Build Healthy Habits

Hyde G, Braverman M. High Speed Hand Washing Helps Build Healthy Habits (2017) Journal of the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Scientists, NEAFCS, Tallahasee, FL.

Abstract

Incorporating proper hand washing before consuming food samples in nutrition education lessons takes time and is therefore not prioritized. A fourth grade “High Speed Hand-Washing” lesson plan was developed and taught. Classrooms can get their hands washed properly in five minutes or less with this simple, inexpensive technique, increasing food safety and, reducing risk of communicable diseases. Improved classroom handwashing led to overall improvement in proper handwashing. Post, then pre-surveys were administered to 1697 fourthgraders during 2011-2013. In a two-year average, 82.6% improved frequency of proper hand washing or always washed their hands properly before touching or eating food.

The article begins on page 63.

JNEAFCS Article