Handwashing

After any disaster, stress will be high and immunity low. Children, the elderly and people with chronic health problems or weakened immune systems will be more vulnerable to - and seriously affected by - communicable diseases.

Health officials stress that handwashing is the single most important practice that can protect you and your family members from getting a communicable disease.

Diseases like the cold virus, and influenza can also spread through the air via respiratory droplets.

There must always be some method of handwashing available to people after they use whatever toilet system is in place and before handling, preparing or eating food, especially in a situation where water is limited.

Yet few people know how to properly wash their hands.

You don't need much water - one cup per handwashing. Use liquid soap and dry hands with disposable paper towels, not cloth.

• pour ¼ cup of water on your hands to wet them
• apply plain liquid soap
• rub your hands together vigorously, palm to palm, interlaced fingers, back of each hand with palm of other hand
• your hands should be washed for a minimum of 20 seconds
• pour the remaining ¾ cup of water over your hands to rinse
• dry hands thoroughly with a paper towel
  
  

Human Waste

After a major disaster like an earthquake, water and sewer lines may be broken.

• Health officials advise us to separate solid waste from liquid waste.
  
  
• Urine is not considered a serious health problem. If you use one bucket for urine, you can dispose of it in your back yard or other green space.
  
  
• Feces, on the other hand, is a source of many disease causing bacteria, including cryptosporidia and cholera.
• It must be disposed of more carefully to prevent outbreak of disease.
  
  
• You can use your existing toilet as container to collect feces in.
• Lift the toilet seat
• scoop out the water in the bowl,
• line the toilet bowl with a double garbage bag (to protect against leakage)
• put the seat back down.
• After you use the toilet, cover the feces in the bag with a liberal dose of hydrated lime.
• The hydrated lime serves a number of purposes.
• It contols odour, bacteria and flies which can spread disease.
• It also helps to dry out the waste in the bag so that when it is time to dispose of this waste, it will be easier to handle.

Listen to Public Health bulletins for instructions on how the bags should ultimately be disposed of.