I'm sure PSLA have specific reasons as to why they'd recommend non use to members. Ofsted would allow you to put your own decisions in place & then maybe offer guidance if something contravened regulation or their knowledge of best practice.
Have dug a little deeper and it is interesting stuff. It seems that there is a risk of using ammonia based products alongside chlorine based products which may if in contact with each other produce chloroform gas. It also seems that some antibacterial soaps may contain a chemical, triclosan - lots of information available and will tryto find out a bit more about any regulation. There is also a concern that antibac products remove/kill the weaker strains of bacteria leaving stonger ones with less natural competition, at the time that led on to questions as to the future effectiveness of antiobitic treatments.
Guidance seems to recommend use of a dishwasher and washing temperatures that would kill bacteria on equipment and utensils but only mentions 'washing up liquid / hot water for the sink - soap and water for hand washing, and that whilst anti bac soaps do kill bacteria on hands which are then disposed of during rinsing - soap in contrast creates a slippery surface that then also disposes of bacteria during rinsing... everything I've read so far suggests that sometime after washing, hands that used ordinary & antibac are as repopulated with bacteria as each other - indicating little benefit - or maybe that surfaces could be made a higher anti bacterial priority than hands or maybe products could be used on a timely basis/rota?
It's a tough one, would a statement of best practice help? making sure everyone is assured that if a switch was made from antibacterial liquid hand soap to a general use one hygiene levels & routines would remain the same and that maybe a local school or hospital could be consulted as to what they'd recommend or use themselves?
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