Sewage on Your Hands: CDC Hand Hygiene Steps for Wastewater Operators

Pulling a pump, clearing a bar screen, cleaning a lift station, taking a grab sample at the headworks. In wastewater, raw sewage ends up on gloves, sleeves and tools every day. Most of the time the gloves do their job. The risk comes in the gaps: a glove that tears, a splash above the cuff, a hand that wipes sweat off your face, a sandwich eaten before you washed.

This post lays out the CDC’s hand hygiene steps for workers who handle sewage, and how to follow them at the plant and out in the collection system.

Why sewage on your hands matters

The CDC says workers who handle human waste or sewage may be at higher risk of getting sick from waterborne diseases. Those germs mostly reach people one way: from hands to the mouth, eyes or nose, or through breaks in the skin.

That is why most of the CDC’s advice for sewage workers is about hands and skin, not about any special product.

The CDC’s hand hygiene steps for sewage work

• Wash your hands with soap and water right after handling sewage, before you eat or drink, and after using the toilet.
• Wash with soap and water right after you take off your PPE.
• Keep your hands away from your face, mouth, eyes and nose, and away from open sores and cuts.
• Cover sores, cuts and wounds with clean, dry bandages.
• Wear waterproof gloves and rubber boots on the job and during transport.
• Do not smoke, chew tobacco or chew gum while handling sewage.
• Take off boots and work clothes before you leave the site.
• Change out of soiled clothes before you eat, and eat only in areas away from sewage work.

The CDC also says workers should be trained on their PPE and should have access to handwashing facilities. Goggles, a face mask or splash-proof face shield, liquid-repellent coveralls, waterproof gloves and rubber boots are all on its PPE list.

Soap and water comes first

Notice what every step says: soap and water. That is the rule to build your routine around.

The CDC’s general hand sanitizer guidance backs it up. It says sanitizer may not work as well when hands are visibly dirty or greasy, and that soap and water work better against some germs. After sewage contact, hands are usually not “just a little germy.” Get to a sink.

At the plant, put the sink where the work is, not only in the locker room. A wash station near the headworks or the solids building gets used. One at the far end of the admin building does not.

For the plant sink, I.C. Heavy Duty Hand Cleaner handles the grease and grime that come with pump and screen work. Pumice scrubbers and cleansers strip oil and grease, it is solvent-free, and benzalkonium chloride kills 99.99% of germs. Scrub for at least 20 seconds, rinse well and dry with a disposable towel.

When you are out in the system with no sink

Collection crews and lift-station techs often work far from running water. Bring water with you if you can. A truck-mounted water tank or a jug with a spigot, soap and paper towels is a real wash station.

When that is not possible, here is a backup routine until you reach a sink:

• Take gloves off by the cuff so the outside stays off your skin.
• Use a no-rinse cleaner to get visible grime off. I.C. Antibacterial Waterless Hand Cleaner works without water: apply, scrub and towel off. Its micro scrubbers lift oil and grime, and benzalkonium chloride kills 99.99% of germs.
• On clean hands, a sanitizer can be your next step. I.C. Hand Sanitizing Cream is alcohol-free, kills 99.99% of germs and moisturizes. Know that the CDC’s backup choice, when soap and water are not available, is a sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.
• Wash with soap and water at the first sink you reach, and before you eat.

This is a backup, not a replacement. The CDC’s steps say soap and water, and that stays the standard.

Look after the skin on your hands

Washing this often is hard on skin. Cracked skin is a problem in this job, because the CDC’s advice is to keep sewage away from cuts and sores, and a crack is an opening.

• Dry your hands completely after washing.
• Put hand cream on at the end of the shift, while skin is still slightly damp. The American Academy of Dermatology says this is the best time to moisturize.
• Cover any crack or cut with a clean, dry bandage before you glove up.
• See a clinician for cuts that get red, swollen or painful.

I.C. Advanced Repair Hand Cream is a dimethicone skin protectant that helps prevent and temporarily protects chafed, chapped or cracked skin. It is fragrance-free.

For the rest of the plant kit, from mosquitoes at the basins to sun on the rounds, see our hand care page for water treatment workers.

FAQ

Is hand sanitizer enough after sewage contact?

No. The CDC says to wash with soap and water right after handling sewage and after taking off PPE. Use a waterless cleaner or sanitizer only as a backup when you cannot reach a sink, and wash as soon as you can.

Do I need to wash if I wore gloves the whole time?

Yes. The CDC says to wash with soap and water right after you remove your PPE. Gloves tear, and hands pick things up as gloves come off.

Can I eat in the truck between lift stations?

The CDC says to eat only in areas away from sewage work, after you change out of soiled clothes and wash your hands. If the truck is your break room, keep work gear out of the cab and wash before you eat.

Sources

• CDC, Protecting Workers Handling Human Waste (hygiene steps and PPE): https://www.cdc.gov/global-water-sanitation-hygiene/about/workers_handlingwaste.html
• CDC, Hand Sanitizer Guidelines and Recommendations (60% alcohol; dirty or greasy hands; germs soap and water work better against): https://www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/about/hand-sanitizer.html
• CDC, About Handwashing (handwashing steps): https://www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/about/index.html
• American Academy of Dermatology, Dry skin relief from handwashing: https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/dry/coronavirus-handwashing
• R&R Lotion product data: I.C. Heavy Duty Hand Cleaner and I.C. Antibacterial Waterless Hand Cleaner (benzalkonium chloride 0.13%); I.C. Hand Sanitizing Cream Drug Facts; I.C. Advanced Repair Hand Cream Drug Facts (dimethicone 4.0%).