I've always thought that surgical elbow taps make sense. Why don't they have them in public places? ‘Please wash your hands’, indeed; but what's the first thing you touch with your faeces-ridden hands? And what's the last thing you touch before turning to the dryer? If we had to use our elbows to turn the taps, as we do in operating theatres, there would be no need to risk contaminated taps. I can't think of any disadvantages.
There are automatic taps. They are hygienic, certainly, but a triumph of technology over necessity. And it's so embarrassing trying to turn on the tap when you don't realise how it works. A friend once spent 5 minutes searching desperately for the flush in a hi-tech loo. Having given up, and having to accept that he had not got rid of the evidence, he opened the cubicle door — which was, of course, the trigger to flush.
In our hospital, elbow taps turn on towards you, and off away from you. It's the logical sequence because it's then difficult to turn the tap on but easy to bang it off. Except in one changing room (although I can't speak for the female changing rooms), which ensures a soaking because smartly pushing the tap for off puts it full on. There's another thing about theatre changing rooms. They all have toilets in. One of the reasons that I'm an anaesthetist and not a surgeon is that I couldn't last through a long case without nipping out to the loo. But while there are notices everywhere telling us not to go outside the theatre suite in theatre blues, there are no notices asking us to change our blues after going to the toilet. There's a research project for someone there.
Alongside the soap dispensers we now have handcream dispensers. Repeated washing in strong soap does dry the skin, and the recently introduced alcohol dispensers are even worse, so they are welcome, but I do wish someone would learn a lesson from the motor industry. All vehicles, right-hand or left-hand drive, of whatever origin, have the accelerator on the right and the brake on the left. Unlike video, hard drive, and DVD formats, there is no fighting between manufacturers or countries for their own pattern to be followed. The reason is obvious. So why is the soap sometimes on the left and sometimes on the right? Hand cream lathers poorly, and soap doesn't rub in. Either delays my return to the operating theatre. Standardisation of alcohol gel or alcohol solution would be nice, too. Expect gel and get solution and it'll be all down your trouser leg.
- © British Journal of General Practice, 2006.
