HappyMaz Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 So during the holidays the Trustees of the hall have installed a lovely hot air hand dryer - right above the pegs where our children hang up their coats and bags, but that's another story. My initial reaction was that I didn't want the children having access to it - but couldn't find a way to switch the thing off. Luckily it isn't one of those that you just need to put your hand under to start it up, and fortunately the children haven't seemed very interested. Of course it also means that since they have provided a means of drying hands, the Trustees won't now provide paper towels as part of the rent! This is one of those issues that everyone gives you a different opinion on. Are they safe or are they not safe for pre-school children? I've asked our Early Years team for the definitive answer, but wondered what the consenus of opinon here was. Let me know what you think... Thanks! Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 We have them in the school I work most in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Had them at our old premises........we supplied had paper towels so the children had a choice, some of the smaller children didn't like the noise of the hand dryers. Don't have them now so we use paper towels...which we have to supply! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
narnia Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 (edited) personally, i don't like them..we use paper towels, which i take to the recycling depot when we're done with them.Can you not remove the fuse from it while you're there, and put it back each day? A faff I know........but i do this with the wall heaters we have each summer, as we remove the fireguards from them (the guards are HUGE and take up too much space, so for safety we remove the fuses) Edited September 5, 2007 by narnia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 We use both. The noise can really scare some children and most try to re style their hair underneath it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 We have them at our pre-school, but we just switch them off during session and supply paper towels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 dont use ours, noisy and scare some children or they play all day turning them on.. we supply our own and have found a company which does small half sized ones, Tiny Towels, so they last for ages, but you do have to buy in bulk and store as minimum order is 2 cases ... a downside ..we have a parent store them for us! (we did get dispenser with first order.) So far they have lasted us 18 months!! Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I'm fairly sure that hand dryer machines actually cause germs to spread and are less hygienic than paper towels. Personally I would not use them with the nursery children. You might need to do a risk assessment!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Glad you brought the subject up - we've returned to the same problem. I did turn them of at the socket thing - our is just below the ceiling--- thinking about it there's proberly more risk to adults stretching on the step ladder to turn them on and off............we've continued with the paper towels and the children seem to prefer them anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 also seen reports into them being less hygienic...paper towels being the best but cannot remember where...; something about the bugs breading in the warm damp air of the dryers and being transfered to hands...paper towels removing them form hands. Only thing is environmentally are they better than paper towels for disposal etc... we put ours in recycling though!! Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MaryEMac Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Our committee looked into having two hand dryers installed last year. After we had got permission from the school governors, we got two quotes and then decided that we could get a heck of a lot of paper towels for the cost of the dryers. I was actually quite happy that they were too expensive because I am not a fan of dryers and I was concerned that they spread germs. Mary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 We've been using the hot air driers in our hall for years but they are not very efficient and take for ever to dry hands so often the children put their hands under for a little while, and then dry their hands on their clothes!!!! From this term we've decided to use paper towels. Anita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I think you've hit the nail on the head there Anita. They just take too long so people can't be bothered to wait for their hands to get dried properly. A paper towel is instant, hygienic and if recycled isn't a burden on the environment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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