Every year, Global Handwashing Day serves as a reminder that one of the simplest public health practices remains one of the most important. Across workplaces, handwashing moments may be different, but the practice is shared.
An employee starts their workday. A team member or co-worker moves from one task to the next. Someone handles supplies, cleans a workspace, prepares food, uses shared equipment or serves a customer. In each setting, handwashing helps support the health and safety of employees, customers and communities.
These everyday moments are worth recognizing. Clean hands are not limited to one role, one industry or one type of workplace. They are part of how work gets done safely.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hand hygiene remains one of the most effective and affordable public health measures available1. It is an essential infection prevention and control practice that reduces the spread of pathogens and helps protect our communities. Yet access, behavior and consistency around handwashing continue to challenge businesses around the world.
In today's workplaces, hand hygiene helps support employee wellbeing, protect customers and reinforces confidence in workplace health and safety practices. Making handwashing a workplace habit takes more than placing a reminder near a sink. Employees need to know when to wash, how to wash, and have convenient access to supplies. Businesses need to make handwashing easy to do and easy to maintain.
The Science is the Same, the Moments are Different
The fundamentals of handwashing do not change from one workplace to another. Washing thoroughly with soap and water helps remove dirt and contaminants from hands, helping reduce the risk of disease transmission. Washing for at least 20 seconds and cleaning the backs of hands, between the fingers and under the nails are important steps. What changes is how handwashing fits into the work being done.
Some handwashing moments are universal, such as after using the restroom, before eating, after coughing or sneezing, and whenever hands are visibly dirty2. Others depend on the work being performed, such as preparing food or materials, completing a cleaning task, or removing gloves.
These differences are important. A single generic reminder cannot reflect every task, workflow or workplace risk. Effective guidance connects handwashing to recognizable moments in an employee’s day to support a safe workplace.
Making Handwashing Part of the Workday
Recognizing the importance of handwashing is one thing. Making it convenient and realistic during a busy shift is often the bigger challenge. Businesses can start by looking at where handwashing fits naturally into the flow of work. Are there moments when employees move from one task to another, handle shared supplies, or prepare food? Those are the moments where access, supplies and clear expectations matter most.
An inconvenient sink, an empty soap dispenser or an unclear expectation can quickly become a
barrier to good hand hygiene. Keeping handwashing sinks accessible and making sure supplies are stocked are especially important. A handwashing station is only useful when it is fully functional. Routine checks and clear responsibility for restocking can prevent a supply issue from interrupting good practice.
When soap and water are unavailable, hand sanitizer may be appropriate in certain situations when hands are not visibly dirty. Employees should understand when handwashing with soap and water is required and when hand sanitizer may be used as an alternative.
Clear Expectations Build Consistent Habits
Communication is key to ensure employees know when to wash their hands.
The most useful reminders connect handwashing to a task being done, such as before preparing food, after removing gloves or after cleaning. Incorporating handwashing into the process helps build the habit so it does not feel like an extra task.
Leaders help shape workplace behaviors by communicating expectations, addressing barriers and reinforcing the importance of hand hygiene as part of everyday operations. When employees are encouraged to speak up when supplies, access or workflow make handwashing difficult, handwashing becomes a valued part of their routine.
Building a Culture of Clean Hands
Effective handwashing programs are built on three fundamentals: clear expectations, convenient access to facilities and supplies, and consistent reinforcement of good practices. When these elements work together, businesses can make handwashing a natural part of everyday work.
This Global Handwashing Day, workplaces have an opportunity to revisit the basics and can ask three questions:
- Are handwashing sinks accessible?
- Are supplies consistently stocked and available?
- Do employees understand when handwashing matters for their work?
Wherever work happens, clean hands begin with clear expectations, accessible resources and a culture that supports people in doing the right thing. It may be a small action, but it can play a meaningful role in supporting safer workplaces, healthier people and stronger communities. Building a culture of clean hands remains one of the simplest ways businesses can help protect what matters most.
Resources:
- Guidelines on hand hygiene in community settings. Geneva: World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 2025. https://iris.who.int/server/api/core/bitstreams/2b52c0e4-8bb4-4d5a-9caf-ccd85bb8a59a/content
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When and How to Wash Your Hands. https://www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/globalhandwashingday/index.html
