The 'splash and dash' speed at which people wash their hands isn't going to prevent a number of diseases from spreading, the Department of Health wants the public to know.

Proper handwashing can prevent many diseases, including diseases spread through faecal-oral transmission such as shigellosis, hepatitis A, E. coli o157:h7 and enterovirus. Proper handwashing also prevents diseases spread through indirect transmission such as influenza, streptococcal disease, respiratory snycitial virus (RSV)...even the common cold.

Children learn at a young age to cover their mouth when coughing or sneezing, but diseases may be spread by those same hands freshly soiled by respiratory discharges of infected people if they are not washed immediately.

Diseases may also be spread when hands are contaminated with urine, saliva or other moist body substances. Infections which may be transmitted by one or more of these body substances including cytomegalovirus (CMV), staphylococcal organisms and typhoid.

The Department of Health cites five common household scenarios in which disease-causing germs can be transmitted by contaminated hands:

Hands to food: Germs are transmitted from unclean hands to food, usually by an infected food preparer who didn't wash their hands after using the toilet. The germs are then passed to those who eat the food.

Infected infant to hands to other children: During diaper changing, germs are passed from an infant with diarrhoea to the hands of a parent. If the parent doesn't immediately wash his or her hands before handling another child, the germs that cause diarrhoea are passed to the second child.

Food to hands to food: Germs transmitted from raw, uncooked foods, such as chicken, to hands; the germs are then transferred to other foods, such as salad. Cooking the raw food kills the initial germs, but the salad remains contaminated.

Nose, mouth or eyes to hands to others: Germs that cause colds, eye infections and other illnesses can spread to the hands by sneezing, coughing or rubbing the eyes and then can be transferred to other family members or friends.

Food to hands to infants: Germs from uncooked foods are transferred to hands and then to infants. If a parent handling raw chicken, for example, doesn't wash his or her hands before tending to an infant, they could transfer germs such as salmonella from the food to the infant.

One of the most common ways people catch colds is by rubbing their nose or their eyes after their hands have been contaminated with the cold virus. You can also spread germs directly to others or onto surfaces that other people touch. And before you know it, everybody around you is getting sick.

The important thing to remember is that in addition to colds, some pretty serious diseases - like hepatitis A, meningitis and infectious diarrhoea - can easily be prevented if people make a habit of washing their hands.

It is estimated that one out of three people do not wash their hands after using the restroom. Those figures don't surprise Estlyn Harvey, Chief Environmental Health Officer, at all.

"No, I'm not surprised, I go into a lot of restrooms and listen for the water," said Mrs. Harvey.

"When people go to the bathroom they just rinse their hands most times and, thinking their hands are clean, are turning off that dirty tap.

"There are too many food handlers having to use the same toilet as the customers and we don't know what's coming into the restaurant."

Mrs. Harvey said food handlers can also pass on germs when wearing long and false nails, and jewellery such as rings which is a major hiding place for dirt.

"Our (Health Department's) policy is that no food handlers wear jewellery - in fact that is legislated - jewellery other than a marriage band and if they are handling food constantly like making bread it (band) should be taped, simply because dirt gets under the ring," said Mrs. Harvey.

"Food also gets into the jewellery, under false and long nails and these areas are not cleaned just be washing hands. Even with short nails they need to be using a brush to get under the nails to get all of the bacteria out.

"If the bacteria that is collected in those areas happens to be faecal it can cause hepatitis A or salmonella."

The Health Department is concerned about food handlers in restaurants preparing food without wearing gloves.

"We only push it if the person is going from one area to the other, for instance if they are handling raw meat and then handling salad that is not cooked," said the health officer.

"We can't guarantee they are getting all of the bacteria out of their hands by the time they handle the salad. Also the salad can carry bacteria if, by handling it, they haven't washed their hands thoroughly. E-coli has been passed on that way, with the salad washed in dirty water.

"There are ways to prepare the food without even touching the food. I watched a chef do a whole meal in front of us with tongs, knives and forks and not touch the food once.

"I was sitting there vigilant, I said 'I don't see any water around for her to wash her hands, but yet she is going to prepare all of these dishes'. But she never touched the food, because of how she handled the utensils."

Added Mrs. Harvey: "We have to have good food handling practices for those persons who have no resistance, the elderly and those sickly who have to be cautious of what they eat.

"It's up to the consumer to make the food handlers do the right thing. Some people do that, they'll tell you straight, 'I didn't see you wash your hands'."

Hands should be washed after:

using the toilet.

touching uncooked meat, poultry, fish or eggs or other potentially hazardous foods.

interrupting working with food, such as answering the phone or opening a door or drawer.

eating, smoking or chewing gum.

touching soiled plates, utensils or equipment.

taking out trash.

touching your nose, mouth or any part of your body.

sneezing or coughing.