Purpose: To evaluate two hand-hygiene methods to assess their ability to reduce dirtiness and indicators of fecal contamination on farmworker hands during harvest.
Methods: 159 farmworkers were recruited at two farms. Hand washing with a foam cleanser, and the SaniTwice method using an ethanol-based hand sanitizer gel were compared. The intervention groups were trained in their hygiene method, but not the control group. All groups harvested produce for 30 minutes before sampling (control group) or intervention. The intervention groups practiced hand-hygiene, and then gave hand rinse samples either immediately, or after continuing to harvest produce post-hand-hygiene. Absorbance of the hand rinsate was measured to quantify organic matter, and E. coli, fecal coliforms, and Enterococcus were enumerated as indicators of fecal contamination.
Results: The foam cleanser group had less organic matter than the method group, and both had less than the control group (P < 0.05).
E. coli was non-detectable in almost all groups. The control group had, on average, greater than 3 log fecal coliforms and 4 log Enterococcus per hand. The foam cleanser group had levels of microorganisms that were not significantly different. The method group had approximately one log fewer fecal coliforms and enterococcus per hand than the control group immediately after practicing hand-hygiene (P < 0.05); however, after 30 minutes harvesting, levels of microorganisms were not different from the control group.
Significance: The method is superior to foam cleanser in reducing both dirtiness and fecal indicator bacteria, and may be an appropriate hand-hygiene method when water is not available.