Frequently asked questions

Click here to download the Safety Data Sheet for Spirigel

Click here to download the Safety Data Sheet for Skinman Rub

How much do I use?

To ensure full decontamination it is important to cover all areas of the hand, you will learn from experience how much Spirigel is required to fully cover your hands.

Spirigel has been tested to EN1500 using 3ml, so this would be our recommendation. Spirigel is available with an integral 1ml pump, so you should apply 3 shots.

When do I use it?

You should clean/decontaminate your hands in the following circumstances:

Staff:

• Before and after patient contact.
• Before handling food.
• After any risk of potential contamination.
• After using the toilet or helping a patient to the toilet

Patients:

• After using the toilet.

Visitors:

• Before entering or leaving a ward or department
• After using the toilet
• Before handling food

Does it kill MRSA?

Spirigel is effective against a broad range of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria, including Staph. aureus (hence MRSA) as well as E.coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus hirae. Alcohol is also effective against a range of viruses. It is more effective against lipophilic or enveloped viruses (eg Vaccinia, Influenza, Herpes simplex, HIV) than non-enveloped viruses.

The Norwalk virus is also a growing challenge in the hospital environment. While it is not possible to test directly for effectiveness against the Norwalk virus, tests on a surrogate virus (feline calicivirus) suggest that alcohol hand gels would be effective against this agent. Alcohol is not sporicidal.

Is Spirigel effective against bird flu and other viruses?

Yes. The virus responsible for bird flu is known as an "enveloped" virus, in other words each virus particle is surrounded by a fatty coat. Spirigel has been tested against Bovine virus diarrhoea virus (BVDV) and vaccinia virus, viruses which are internationally recognised as being suitable surrogate viruses to represent all enveloped viruses. Spirigel showed efficacy against the surrogate viruses within a 30 second contact time.

Spirigel is therefore proven to be effective against all enveloped viruses, which includes amongst others those responsible for bird flu, human flu, hepatitis B, HIV, herpes, measles, mumps, rubella and rabies. Click here for further information about bird flu.

When should I not use it?

Spirigel and all other alcohol decontaminants do not remove dirt or soiling from your hands. When your hands are visibly dirty or soiled it is important you wash your hands with soap and water.

How many times can I use it before I have to wash my hands?

The need to hand wash is not decided by how many times you have used Spirigel but the nature of the tasks since your last hand wash. If your hands are visibly soiled you must wash your hands.

Spirigel contains a gelling agent and emollients to make it as acceptable to the user as possible. You may find after a number of applications you feel a build up of gel and emollients on your skin. At this point we would recommend a hand wash. When you begin to feel this build up varies from person to person as everyone's skin is different. Whether you use gloves and the time between applications will also have an effect.

Will Spirigel damage my hands?

Spirigel is a very simple formulation, without the extra ingredients often found in hand and skin products. This means there are less ingredients to find yourself allergic to.

There are added emollient ingredients in the formulation to moisturise the skin.

As a healthcare worker you are asked to wash your hands as well as decontaminate with Spirigel so we would recommend you always use a moisturising product to replenish the skins moisture at the end of your shift. Silonda sensitive is ideal to use alongside Spirigel and your hand washing products.

Is Spirigel safe to use in pregnancy?

The use of Spirigel on the hands during pregnancy is considered safe. The alcohol present in the formulation rapidly evaporates, and studies have shown that alcohol applied to the skin is poorly absorbed into the blood stream. The expectant mother would therefore not be exposed to unsafe levels of alcohol through absorption of the product across the skin.

Is Spirigel a fire hazard?

As Spirigel is 70% alcohol it is classified as highly flammable, so the required precautions should be taken.

In practice, the only way a fire could be started due to alcohol gel is if there is a large build up of vapour in the vicinity of the product. By using Spirigel in the dispenser units provided, and insuring that they are not installed over electrical receptacles or near to other sources of ignition, there should be no adverse fire risk.

Please refer to an NHS Estates Alert; NHSE (2005) 07 which offers guidance on managing the potential fire risk of storing alcohol hand rubs in a hospital environment with specific reference to storage and positioning of dispensers.

What happens if someone drinks Spirigel?

The alcohol in Spirigel has been denatured with Bitrex, Bitrex gives Spirigel an unpalatable bitter taste which should prevent anyone drinking it. In the unlikely event that someone does drink it, please follow the advice from the Material safety data sheet. Spirigel has been registered with all UK Poisons Information centres.

What happens if I splash Spirigel on my clothing?

If a small amount of Spirigel splashes onto your clothing wipe off the excess as soon as possible. If possible, sponge off the product with water before allowing Spirigel time to dry onto the fabric. Launder or dry clean your clothes as normal. NB liquid based detergents have been shown to remove the gel residue better than a powder detergent.

What happens if Spirigel splashes onto floors or walls?

If a small amount of Spirigel splashes onto the floor immediately wipe off the excess as soon as possible. Sponge off the product with water before allowing Spirigel time to dry. If a whitish gel residue remains on the floor a warm detergent solution will remove this.

Can Spirigel be used with latex gloves?

Devices designated for single-use, including disposable gloves, should not be re-used under any circumstances (MDA 2000). They are not intended to be reprocessed and used on another patient or for another procedure with the same patient. Washing or decontaminating a gloved hand is therefore considered unsafe practice as gloves should be disposed of after each care activity. For this reason we would not advocate using Spirigel on a gloved hand.

I am a practising Muslim. Can I use the Spirigel Alcohol Hand Gel?

The topic of alcohol in medicines was discussed during the 16^th Meeting of the Muslim Scholar’s Board of the World Muslim League in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in January 2002. Medicines that contain alcohol have since been deemed permissible by the World Muslim League if no substitute exists.