Top 20 lessons to use with Glo Germ
Ever heard of Glo Germ or using other Fluorescent Activities?
Glo Germ has been around for many years and is used by millions of people worldwide. Organizations are constantly restocking this effective infection control tool and singing it's praises for over 30 years. So, why do we get so many questions at tradeshows on how to use Glo Germ? We even talked to many infection preventionists that have Glo Germ and do not know how to use it - letting it sit idle on their shelves...
Why are infection professionals sparingly using Glo Germ?
Glo Germ can be used far more often than the average organization uses it
Why? We have concluded that the germ simulation (fluorescent powder or fluorescent gel) capabilities are so vast that infection control professionals often over think what can be done with Glo Germ. Glo Germ can be used with the most simple hand washing demonstration or be used as an integral part of the environmental cleaning service verification process. It can be used in games, activities, orientations, meetings, competitions and all other types of gatherings for your organization. Really, the possibilities are endless.
Glo Germ Products on Amazon
Search Amazon for some great Glo Germ Products (Fluorescent Powder, Fluorescent Gel, Clue Spray, etc.) and UV black lights for effective infection control!
Want to try Glo Germ?
We want to help give you the tools for effective infection control activities
So, to help give you an idea how to implement Glo Germ as an effective infection control tool within your organization, we are providing the Top 20 General Ways to Implement Fluorescent Trainings. These 20 ideas are general in nature, but cover many of the important concepts whether you are at home, work or play. Millions of games and activities can stem off of these ideas... So, if you have great ideas share them with us so we can share with all! Subsequent posts may include fun game ideas submitted by subscribers.
If you have questions or would like to submit an idea please email info@OUTFOXprevention.com
Top 20 User Ideas for Glo Germ and other Fluorescent Trainings
This is the list for ideas 1-10
Top 20 Glo Germ User Ideas
1. Hand Washing Training with Fluorescent Glo Gel
a. See how well students/employees wash up by applying simulation germs and having them try to wash them off! Water and soap don't do the trick unless there is friction and targeted cleaning.
2. Glove Removal Testing with Fluorescent Powder
a. See how germs are spread while donning or removing gloves. Germs often spread when an employee removes gloves carelessly. Glitterbug Powder is perfect for this exercise.
3. Testing Glove Efficiency with Glo Gel
a. Have students/employees don gloves and apply gel to test how well it holds liquid and how it spreads. It will help employees realize that gloves are only effective up to a point.
4. Glove Replacement Reminder
a. Show students/employees how not replacing gloves can spread disease. Specifically, germs and disease remain on gloves and gowns despite the employee "feeling" clean. The Glitterbugs will show how the microbes spread without anyone even knowing.
5. Gown Removal Testing
a. Show how germs spread when not removed slowly and carefully. This is great for orientation and check up lessons- especially when employees are new to the healthcare profession. Gown removal often flips microorganisms and infectious particles on areas and contaminates them.
6. Gown Replacement Reminder
a. Show how germs and disease remain and need to be changed often. Most employees see a gown as only a protection from germs for them but don't see them as transfer agents for viruses and bacteria.
7. Privacy Curtain Disease Testing
a. Visibly show management and environmental cleaning staff the germ content on curtains. Decide whether to keep permanent drapes or transition into disposable drapes for hospital rooms.
8. Environmental Cleaning Orientation
a. Teach new employees how to maintain a clean environment. Teaching Environmental Cleaning Employees the same thing from the start eliminates a lot of the issues in the future.
9. Environmental Cleaning Verification
a. Place 10-20 (or as little or as many as desired) Glo Germ dots in planned places to verify if rooms or equipment are being cleaned. Use a black light to highlight the "infected" areas. Test the staff on how clean the areas are by how much Glitterbug is removed.
10. General Hygiene Lessons
a. Demonstrate germ spreading through hand shaking, touching of the face, sharing pens and utensils, etc. This fun way to use Glo Particles (i.e. GermJuice) is popular with many people.
Top 20 for Glo Germ
This list is for ideas 11-20
11. Teaching "Staying Home From Work" Concept Lessons
a. Demonstrate how coughing, sneezing, mucous spreading, hand washing and other acts spread disease when employees are sick. It will help increase the health of the organization.
12. Teach Food Safety
a. Demonstrate cross contamination of blood (raw meat), waste and other infectious particles with the Glo Germ Oil (Orange Fluorescent Oil)
b. Food safety for restaurants, potluck lunches and food services in your organization
13. Training Classes for Medical Professions.
a. CPR, EMT and other Medical Certifications for volunteers or part time professionals will help solidify germ and hygiene concepts.
14. Product Reviews and Trainings
a. Demonstrate product processes and how to properly use, maintain and dispose of the infectious particles. The glow in the UV Black Light particles will help demonstrate best practices for the permanent or disposable products.
b. Product orientations will get all employees on the same page for effective infection control.
15. Product Comparisons
a. Compare multiple products for the effectiveness and ease of use in terms of infection control.
b. Decide which products are the best depending on the how the Glow Particles are contained or removed.
16. Emergency Situations
a. Demonstrate the need to maintain high hygiene standards even in high pressure and emergency situations.
b. Demonstrate that germs and disease can prolong the suffering after emergencies.
c. A real life situation mixed with a germ simulation will help students and employees realize the importance of infection control principles.
17. Teach Parents, Clients, Caregivers and Visitors Hygiene Standards
a. Ensure that your students, employees or patients are able to experience a clean environment whether at home, work or play. Share with them so they can teach those close to them.
b. Patient safety should extend beyond the walls of the hospital or other healthcare organization. Many patients become worse because of the contaminated environments in which they live.
18. Conduct Community Demonstrations
a. Add a Glo Germ Lesson to invite participation and create excitement around fairs, booths and other community events.
b. Kids love to see the germs on their hands.
19. Employee or Student Orientation
a. Ensure all new students/employees adopt the standards of the organization. Starting out right can reduce the amount of hygiene and infection control problems in the future.
b. Putting this into a regular rotation will reduce the spread of illness and disease in your organization.
20. Clue Spray to Track Where Employees/Students Touch
a. Want to know the areas where most activity takes place in rooms? Use the Clue Spray (fluorescent spray) to detect movement and disease spreading.
b. Clue Spray is easy and light to spray on but still visible with a UV Blacklight
This information was provided to you by OUTFOX Prevention.
Fluorescent Trainings Supported by CDC
From CDC's Options for Evaluating Environmental Cleaning (Appendix A Elements of the Educational Intervention)
Fluorescent Markers – Fluorescent gel, powder, and lotion have all been developed for the purpose of marking high touch objects prior to room cleaning. While the powder and lotion have been used as part of educational interventions, their overt visibility (lotions and powder), ease with which they can be disturbed (powder), and difficulty with easy removal (lotion if allowed to air dry) may limit their use in a monitoring system and there is little or no published experience in their use for this purpose.
In contrast, the fluorescent gel dries transparent on surfaces, resists abrasion, and there are several studies demonstrating the accuracy of the system in objectively evaluating cleaning practice and quantifying the impact of educational interventions on such cleaning.[4,5] Because these fluorescent markers are all designed to indicate physical removal of an applied substance, surfaces that are effectively disinfected but less effectively cleaned may be more likely flagged as failing to meet a quality standard using one of these markers than one of the culture techniques.
Glo Germ...
See the scary germs illuminated under a black light!
Black Lights on Amazon
Effectively use Glo Germ by having a black light for your lesson (or two) on hand.
Infection Control Video(s) on YouTube!
Look for entertaining videos about infection control, hand washing and hygiene on YouTube! Scrub a Dub was a winner at the APIC show this year! Teaching by this method can be very effective!
Leave us a comment about Glo Germ, Infection Control Activities or your thoughts on the trend for more hygiene trainings now than ever before.
