Germ Free door opening device

[newport dave]

A UK company has invented a device which allows you to open doors without using yours and so staying germ free. It's called the Step'n'Pull, it's used by 100's of companies around the world but not by any cruiseline.

 

http://www.stepnpull.co.uk/

 

I think this should be high up on cruiselines agenda to combat Norovirus. They could be quite easily fitted to toilet doors during a cruise with very minimal disruption to customers and staff.

[cruiseryyc]

Or just wear gloves - like the Queen does :-)

 

Better yet - WASH YOUR HANDS!

[Vexorg]

As far as I could tell, on the Emerald Princess they just kept the main doors to the public restrooms open in the first place. The individual stalls have doors, but presumably you'll be washing your hands quickly after coming in contact with one of those.

[Times Prince]

Most public restrooms have doors which remain open. In all other cases the recommendation from Princess is that one uses the towel that you just dried your hands with to grasp the handle. There are waste baskets placed so one can grasp the handle, open the door, drop the used towel in the waste, and step through without your freshly washed hands coming into contact with anything contaminated.

 

From an engineering standpoint the gadget the OP recommends could be a safety hazard if someone looked down to see where to step and someone else pushed the door from the outside. How would one explain the bump on your forehead to your spouse? "Honestly, honey, I wasn't accosted by an irate lady with a heavy purse!" :rolleyes:

[newport dave]

Most public restrooms have doors which remain open. In all other cases the recommendation from Princess is that one uses the towel that you just dried your hands with to grasp the handle. There are waste baskets placed so one can grasp the handle, open the door, drop the used towel in the waste, and step through without your freshly washed hands coming into contact with anything contaminated.

 

From an engineering standpoint the gadget the OP recommends could be a safety hazard if someone looked down to see where to step and someone else pushed the door from the outside. How would one explain the bump on your forehead to your spouse? "Honestly, honey, I wasn't accosted by an irate lady with a heavy purse!" :rolleyes:

 

It seems to be working fine in lots of other companies, so I doubt it's a H&S issue. As for using paper towels to open doors, don't you think that's a bit environmently unfriendly to be just wasting paper towels to open doors. There have been plenty of times when toilet doors have been closed and not wedged open, and that's not just on Princess.

[Griller]

So why don't they just make toilet doors open outwards? Just push with your knee or whatever. Other doors on Princess ships do.

And you can always recess them so they don't open out to where people are walking.

[Amyracecar]

Many toilet doors on cruises I've been on click shut and require you to pull the handle down. It seems like you'd need to completely replace the doors to install something like that.

 

Besides, you can catch norovirus pretty much anywhere. People need to use alcohol gel more regularly and not just assume avoiding toilet doors will protect them!

 

Toilet seats carry fewer germs than your average food prep area. Think about it.

 

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[Griller]

Many toilet doors on cruises I've been on click shut and require you to pull the handle down. It seems like you'd need to completely replace the doors to install something like that.

 

Besides, you can catch norovirus pretty much anywhere. People need to use alcohol gel more regularly and not just assume avoiding toilet doors will protect them!

 

Toilet seats carry fewer germs than your average food prep area. Think about it.

 

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Disagree, sorry, forget the gel as a reliable viruskiller,people need to wash their hands frrquently and properly, avoid touching many things and not put their fingers in their eyes and mouth.

Been on many ships with Noro type illnesses and never got it.

This topic has been done to death here over the years.

[Amyracecar]

I'm not suggesting gel as an alternative to hand washing, as that's obviously of primary importance. Just saying that toilet door handles aren't the most likely/only place you'd ever get it.

 

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[Amyracecar]

It amuses me to see people get all angsty about toilet doors, forgetting that non-hand-washers have probably come into contact with every other door on the ship. Alcohol gel might not be a fix-all, but it doesn't hurt either. (Unless you have a paper cut!)

 

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[Griller]

Consider what you have done just before you eat your bread roll at dinner with your bare hands - you have pulled in your chair holding the seat or sides, and you have handled the menu, and I do not think either are easily sanitised properly.

My answer is not to eat the bread rolls, saves some weight gain as well.

[Amyracecar]

To re-clarify in the face of overwhelming sarcasm, the point was supposed to be 'you can't ever guard against everything, so why spend too much time worrying about a door' rather than 'stress every time you open a ship door or touch anything'. However I've now spent too much time even thinking about it by replying to this thread and my brain is melting.

I concede the point about the bread roll though, good advice.

 

If we guard against too many germs we'll have no immunity to them and the human race will die out. Let's all stop washing altogether!!

 

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[bhopal21]

It amuses me to see people get all angsty about toilet doors, forgetting that non-hand-washers have probably come into contact with every other door on the ship. Alcohol gel might not be a fix-all, but it doesn't hurt either. (Unless you have a paper cut!)

 

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Agreed.

 

Evidence has shown far more contamination on stair rails and elevator buttons than toilet areas of ships.

 

Mike:)

[Griller]

To re-clarify in the face of overwhelming sarcasm, the point was supposed to be 'you can't ever guard against everything, so why spend too much time worrying about a door' rather than 'stress every time you open a ship door or touch anything'. However I've now spent too much time even thinking about it by replying to this thread and my brain is melting.

I concede the point about the bread roll though, good advice.

 

If we guard against too many germs we'll have no immunity to them and the human race will die out. Let's all stop washing altogether!!

 

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If you do contract Noro then you have immunity from another bout for only a very short time, its a nasty virus.

I have had what I believe was Noro twice, D and V, both ends at once, both times after a plane ride, its impossible to not touch really contaminated things on planes even if you don't use the bathroom - l

[capriccio]

It amuses me to see people get all angsty about toilet doors, forgetting that non-hand-washers have probably come into contact with every other door on the ship.

 

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I always wonder if they are so 'angsty' working in an office (common restrooms, elevators, break rooms, etc.) or shopping (elevators, escalators, shopping carts, etc.) or traveling (hotel rooms, airport/airplane restrooms, etc.). The preoccupation leads me to wonder how some ever leave home!

[Amyracecar]

Ha ha, that reminds me of the time I came back from a Red Sea cruise to discover that half of my office had been off with Norovirus during the week. The alcohol gel police were out in force!

 

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[hunt182644]

Wash your hands and keep your fingers out of your mouth.:D

[gooch47]

Wash your hands and keep your fingers out of your mouth.:D

 

And eyes (as she sits here with a case of pinkeye).

[Oh2B@C]

I have tons of non-money-wasting germ free door openers: gloves, paper napkin, outstretched sleeve, push with elbow/hip/foot...;)

[CI66774]

Very simple - always wash your hands (thoroughly, of course) before eating, or touching your hands to your mouth, nose, or eyes. Simple hygiene is all you need. Now, let's talk about viruses, etc. that are transmitted through sneezing, etc......:eek:

[Jbird81]

I like the Step N Pull idea, but like it's been mentioned the doors are always open anyways.