SCA sponsors Guinness World Records attempt
Fans at US football match achieve hand-sanitising record
To establish the world record, fans placed a small amount of hand sanitiser on their hands. They then simultaneously rubbed their hands together for 60 seconds before an on-site Guinness representative declared the new record officially established.
The world record was carried out in celebration of today’s (15 October) Global Handwashing Day, an annual event that coincides with the start of the flu season.
SCA, a global hygiene company, and its Tork brand of paper and hand hygiene products sponsored the challenge.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control, flu is spread when infected people cough or sneeze. The virus can survive for up to eight hours on common surfaces, such as faucets and door handles. Good hand hygiene is therefore essential to minimising the spread of the virus.
“Professional sporting events such as the Union-Galaxy game, which attract millions of people annually, are the perfect venue to drive home the important message of proper hand hygiene,” said Don Lewis, president of SCA Tissue North America.
The record was also established as part of “Tork Clean and Green Night” at Philadelphia’s PPL Park, an initiative geared toward increasing public awareness about proper hand hygiene and sustainability. PPL Park is the home of Philadelphia Union and was equipped with special handwashing stations and recycle bins. Posters illustrating proper handwashing technique were also displayed in stadium washrooms.