Since I recently turned 21, I've decided to try getting into wine. I bought a bunch of $6 bottles of Barefoot from the grocery store and am working my way through them. So far I've liked the riesling and the pinot grigio but can't really drink the cabernet savignon.
“The rule can’t be that you can just turn up somewhere and talk about parliament and then it’s justified. I could wander up to someone at a birthday party and say, ‘look, I’d like to tell you about the parliament’ and they’d probably walk away from me, as they normally do at birthday parties.” - Peter Costello, Ex-treasurer.
This expenses scandal in parliament at the moment is producing some of the best quotes.
For the few who might be interested the Philly Geek Awards just released their nominations. If nothing else gives you a list of people/projects to give some attention to.
Do magnetic poles actually move, or is that our geocentric perspective? Couldn't it be that the Earth is shifting, while the electromagnetic field stays stable? And what are the implications of us forcing this geocentric perspective? Just imagine some little electromagnet growing up on his field. He thinks he's staying still, but we insist that he is moving. What damage could that do to the electromagnet?
There. Now you STEM folks know how I feel when you try to talk 19th century politics with me.
There is also an entire category of folktale, type 1176, "in which the devil loses control over his intended victim by failing to catch and return broken wind".
Given that it's been repeatedly proven that paper towels are better than air hand dryers. Why do some places persist on only having air hand dryers? I get having some in case the paper runs out but to only have them?
Given that it's been repeatedly proven that paper towels are better than air hand dryers. Why do some places persist on only having air hand dryers? I get having some in case the paper runs out but to only have them?
Don't have to deal with people taking out all of the paper towels, jamming the slots, having a bin overflowing with trash, having to replace and stock paper towels.
Given that it's been repeatedly proven that paper towels are better than air hand dryers. Why do some places persist on only having air hand dryers? I get having some in case the paper runs out but to only have them?
Who says they are better? They are less sanitary, create more waste, and dry your hands less thoroughly.
It's been proven that paper towels are more sanitary, in part because people don't use air dryers correctly to dry their hands entirely. Secondly, in bath rooms with non automatic sinks you don't have the towel to turn off the water. And thirdly the air dryers circulate in the air any bacteria on your hands as you dry them.
RIT was experimenting with waterless urinals and paperless bathrooms on campus as part of a wider environmental impact and energy usage study. IIRC, the data were overwhelmingly positive on modern air dryers.
The overall energy use seems to be (worst to best):
Crappy old air dryers Paper towels Modern air dryers
Paper also ends up being often flushed or dumped in the sink, leading to even further impact and cost.
Sounds to me like people weren't using the hand dryers properly.
It has been known for some time that the number one factor in hand washing is friction. This is why doctors scrub their hands like crazy. The soap, temperature of the water, etc. don't matter nearly as much as friction. So of course paper towel are going to remove more bacteria because people using them are applying friction.
People using hand dryers, especially ones like the dyson air blade are not going to apply friction. But you are supposed to! In a normal hand dryer you aren't supposed to just put your hands underneath and wait. You are supposed to rub your hands together vigorously to remove water and apply even more bacteria-removing friction.
Also, while it is true that paper towels are going to remove most of the water more quickly, they don't get you down to 0%. You end up having to remove that final 1% by air drying.
With a hot blow dryer, it might take awhile, but you get all the way to 0%. Your hands feel completely crips and 100% dry when you are done. Also, it takes a lot less time if you apply friction!
I'd like to see the study repeated where people are instructed and forced to use the devices properly.
Also, if you are concerned about the energy of the hot air dryer being more wasteful than the waste of paper towels, consider using cold air dryers. Or power them with wind or solar power.
There's also a big difference between crappy paper towels you find in most places and top of the line ones. If you dry your hands with a big old sheet of Bounty, that's going to be awesome compared to using the crap you get in a gas station bathroom where you need 20 sheets because it disintegrates.
There are just too many factors that aren't taken into account for me to consider a study like that conclusive.
People using hand dryers, especially ones like the dyson air blade are not going to apply friction. But you are supposed to! In a normal hand dryer you aren't supposed to just put your hands underneath and wait. You are supposed to rub your hands together vigorously to remove water and apply even more bacteria-removing friction.
I have some citations that say you're actually super wrong about that.
The 2011 study found that people who kept their hands still under dryers reduced almost the same amount of bacteria as those using paper towels. But rubbing hands together under a dryer actually spreads more bacteria around.
Also, rapid air dryers are superior.
The 2011 study also suggested that ultra-rapid hand dryers could be superior to the warm-air dryers, given that the shorter drying time means likely greater compliance among users.
That's very interesting that friction during drying is bad, but during washing is good? Also, spreading bacteria around the bathroom is no problem. That's what a bathroom is for. If it gets it off your hands, mission accomplished.
People using hand dryers, especially ones like the dyson air blade are not going to apply friction. But you are supposed to! In a normal hand dryer you aren't supposed to just put your hands underneath and wait. You are supposed to rub your hands together vigorously to remove water and apply even more bacteria-removing friction.
I have some citations that say you're actually super wrong about that.
The 2011 study found that people who kept their hands still under dryers reduced almost the same amount of bacteria as those using paper towels. But rubbing hands together under a dryer actually spreads more bacteria around.
Also, rapid air dryers are superior.
The 2011 study also suggested that ultra-rapid hand dryers could be superior to the warm-air dryers, given that the shorter drying time means likely greater compliance among users.
From your article "But, the authors write, from a hygiene standpoint, drying with paper towels is superior to using air dryers. "
Ultra rapid hand dryers are probably the best compromise but from an anecdotal standpoint I have used many restrooms with only slow warm air dryers. Also public education to keep your hands still under the dryer is in order.
Both air and paper towels produce the same type of sanitation. Air dryers blow bacteria and particles and the air onto moist hands and paper towels transfer bacteria and particles from the towel to moist hands. Think of it like this water = bacteria after washing is complete.
Personal opinion Dyson Air-Blade is the best all other air driers are useless and I would rather use a paper towel.
It has been known for some time that the number one factor in hand washing is friction. This is why doctors scrub their hands like crazy. The soap, temperature of the water, etc. don't matter nearly as much as friction. So of course paper towel are going to remove more bacteria because people using them are applying friction.
That's absolute BS, friction and an excess of it is detrimental to sanitising your hands for surgery. All the TV shows show the incorrect side of the brush being used. You only use the brush for under your nails after you've clipped them. Scrubbing excessively liberates extra skin cells and bacteria from your hand as there are a number of dead cell layers that compose the topmost layers of your skin.
That's very interesting that friction during drying is bad, but during washing is good? Also, spreading bacteria around the bathroom is no problem. That's what a bathroom is for. If it gets it off your hands, mission accomplished.
The friction during drying is bad because when rubbing your hands you are shielding areas of your hands which have water on them, water holds bacteria therefore it's bad. During the washing phase friction is there to apply soap to your hands, remove excess oils and macroscopic dirt along side water. Moisture is great at this stage.
If you really want to know how to sanitise -
1. Remove the backing of your scrub brush (it's a brush sponge combo with impregnated scrub) leave it in the sterile package. 2. Wash hands like a normal person using the scrub of choice (povidine-iodine or chlorhexidine) for 1-2 minutes or as long as it takes to remove obvious dirt from your fingers to 1" past your elbows using only your hands. Rinse. 3. Clip your nails and remove anything obvious from under you nails. If your hand or forearm touches anything from this point on restart from step 4. 4. Wash with the scrub again for 1-2 minutes with just your hands from fingers to 1" before your elbows. This time make sure your elbows are always bent and the highest point on either arm is always the fingers and hands so that water runs away from your hands. Rinse. 5. Grab sterile scrub brush, pump extra scrub on it with your elbows (or it may be sensor dispensed onto the scrub), use the brush side under your nails, shouldn't take more than 15 - 30 seconds. 6. Use the sponge side to clean every portion of your skin from fingers to 1" below your wrist for 2-4 minutes. Your hands even if you have an excellent tan should be covered in pale pink or brown foam. 7. Dispense scrub directly onto hands and massage all parts of both hands for 2 minutes. 8. Wait for 2 minutes while scrub is sitting on hands. Rinse. 9. Drip dry hands, don't move them around in the air for 1-2 minutes. 10. Keep hands up in the air and walk into theatre. Nurse will open a sterile (autoclaved) or single use sterile towel to dry your hands.
IN SHORT: It doesn't fucking matter what you guys do neither your air dry or paper towel solutions are satisfactory. Just do what makes your hands the most dry.
With all this science about hygiene which is all pretty common sense IMO, I frequently see guys leaving public toilets: not washing their hands, just getting their hands wet (no soap), a decent hand wash but not spending anytime drying them.
The leaving without washing being the most frequent. Disgusting!
Comments
This expenses scandal in parliament at the moment is producing some of the best quotes.
There. Now you STEM folks know how I feel when you try to talk 19th century politics with me.
There is also an entire category of folktale, type 1176, "in which the devil loses control over his intended victim by failing to catch and return broken wind".
Citation here.
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/the_green_lantern/2008/06/electric_hand_dryers_vs_paper_towels.html
RIT was experimenting with waterless urinals and paperless bathrooms on campus as part of a wider environmental impact and energy usage study. IIRC, the data were overwhelmingly positive on modern air dryers.
The overall energy use seems to be (worst to best):
Crappy old air dryers
Paper towels
Modern air dryers
Paper also ends up being often flushed or dumped in the sink, leading to even further impact and cost.
It has been known for some time that the number one factor in hand washing is friction. This is why doctors scrub their hands like crazy. The soap, temperature of the water, etc. don't matter nearly as much as friction. So of course paper towel are going to remove more bacteria because people using them are applying friction.
People using hand dryers, especially ones like the dyson air blade are not going to apply friction. But you are supposed to! In a normal hand dryer you aren't supposed to just put your hands underneath and wait. You are supposed to rub your hands together vigorously to remove water and apply even more bacteria-removing friction.
Also, while it is true that paper towels are going to remove most of the water more quickly, they don't get you down to 0%. You end up having to remove that final 1% by air drying.
With a hot blow dryer, it might take awhile, but you get all the way to 0%. Your hands feel completely crips and 100% dry when you are done. Also, it takes a lot less time if you apply friction!
I'd like to see the study repeated where people are instructed and forced to use the devices properly.
Also, if you are concerned about the energy of the hot air dryer being more wasteful than the waste of paper towels, consider using cold air dryers. Or power them with wind or solar power.
There's also a big difference between crappy paper towels you find in most places and top of the line ones. If you dry your hands with a big old sheet of Bounty, that's going to be awesome compared to using the crap you get in a gas station bathroom where you need 20 sheets because it disintegrates.
There are just too many factors that aren't taken into account for me to consider a study like that conclusive.
The article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/11/21/using-a-public-restroom-hand-dryer-you-may-be-spreading-bacteria-all-over-the-place/
The study I'm referencing here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3017747/
Also, rapid air dryers are superior.
Also, rapid air dryers are superior. From your article "But, the authors write, from a hygiene standpoint, drying with paper towels is superior to using air dryers. "
Ultra rapid hand dryers are probably the best compromise but from an anecdotal standpoint I have used many restrooms with only slow warm air dryers. Also public education to keep your hands still under the dryer is in order.
Personal opinion Dyson Air-Blade is the best all other air driers are useless and I would rather use a paper towel.
That's absolute BS, friction and an excess of it is detrimental to sanitising your hands for surgery. All the TV shows show the incorrect side of the brush being used. You only use the brush for under your nails after you've clipped them.
Scrubbing excessively liberates extra skin cells and bacteria from your hand as there are a number of dead cell layers that compose the topmost layers of your skin. The friction during drying is bad because when rubbing your hands you are shielding areas of your hands which have water on them, water holds bacteria therefore it's bad. During the washing phase friction is there to apply soap to your hands, remove excess oils and macroscopic dirt along side water. Moisture is great at this stage.
If you really want to know how to sanitise -
1. Remove the backing of your scrub brush (it's a brush sponge combo with impregnated scrub) leave it in the sterile package.
2. Wash hands like a normal person using the scrub of choice (povidine-iodine or chlorhexidine) for 1-2 minutes or as long as it takes to remove obvious dirt from your fingers to 1" past your elbows using only your hands. Rinse.
3. Clip your nails and remove anything obvious from under you nails. If your hand or forearm touches anything from this point on restart from step 4.
4. Wash with the scrub again for 1-2 minutes with just your hands from fingers to 1" before your elbows. This time make sure your elbows are always bent and the highest point on either arm is always the fingers and hands so that water runs away from your hands. Rinse.
5. Grab sterile scrub brush, pump extra scrub on it with your elbows (or it may be sensor dispensed onto the scrub), use the brush side under your nails, shouldn't take more than 15 - 30 seconds.
6. Use the sponge side to clean every portion of your skin from fingers to 1" below your wrist for 2-4 minutes. Your hands even if you have an excellent tan should be covered in pale pink or brown foam.
7. Dispense scrub directly onto hands and massage all parts of both hands for 2 minutes.
8. Wait for 2 minutes while scrub is sitting on hands. Rinse.
9. Drip dry hands, don't move them around in the air for 1-2 minutes.
10. Keep hands up in the air and walk into theatre. Nurse will open a sterile (autoclaved) or single use sterile towel to dry your hands.
IN SHORT:
It doesn't fucking matter what you guys do neither your air dry or paper towel solutions are satisfactory. Just do what makes your hands the most dry.
I found this interesting.
The leaving without washing being the most frequent. Disgusting!