Purell® Hand Sanitizer and Hand Sanitizing Wipes in Workplace Helped Reduce Healthcare Insurance Claims for Cold and Flu by 24%

Study findings are significant as employers try to improve the health
of the workforce and reduce healthcare costs

AKRON, Ohio–(BUSINESS WIRE)–A workplace
outcome study published in The Journal of Occupational and
Environmental Medicine (JOEM) found that offices equipped with
alcohol-based hand sanitizers and hand sanitizing wipes throughout the
building and at employees’ desks resulted in 24.3 percent fewer
healthcare insurance claims for hand hygiene preventable illnesses –
such as cold, flu and respiratory illnesses – than the office and
employees in the control group without these products.

“This study builds on the decades of science demonstrating the
effectiveness of a comprehensive hand hygiene program when PURELL^™
products are used in real-world settings,” said Jim Arbogast, Ph.D., the
lead author of the study and vice president of hygiene sciences and
public health advancements at GOJO. “With this study, the evidence is
clear that PURELL^™ products in a workplace can directly
reduce hand hygiene preventable illnesses tied to doctors’ visits by
more than 24 percent.”

The study, “Impact of a Comprehensive Workplace Hand Hygiene Program on
Employer Health Care Insurance Claims and Costs, Absenteeism, and
Employee Perceptions and Practices,” was published on June 9 in JOEM.
The study evaluated a comprehensive hand hygiene program with PURELL^®
Hand Sanitizer and PURELL^® Hand Sanitizing Wipes and its
impact on actual medical insurance claims tied to doctors’ visits. The
study found in the first year of having PURELL^™ products
available at an employee’s workspace as well as throughout the building,
there was a statistically significant 24.3 percent lower incidence of
hygiene preventable medical insurance claims compared to the control
group.

GOJO and Medical Mutual of Ohio began collaborating on the study in
2013. The study, funded by GOJO, began in February 2014. The Medical
Mutual Strongsville, Ohio, and Toledo, Ohio, offices were equipped with
a comprehensive hand hygiene program, including alcohol-based hand
sanitizer and hand sanitizing wipes. Medical Mutual’s downtown Cleveland
headquarters served as the control group. Al Parker, biostatistician at
the Center for Biofilm Engineering at Montana State University, provided
the statistical analysis.

“As a health insurance company we look for ways to help employers
improve the health of their workforce,” said Kathy Golovan, chief health
officer and executive vice president for Medical Mutual. “The
significance of this study is that it demonstrates an immediate health
solution for employers that is easy to implement, cost effective and one
that employees clearly value. Employers often focus on long-term chronic
diseases like diabetes, heart health and weight loss of their workforce,
but short-term solutions like a hand hygiene program can be impactful
because it can quickly improve the health and wellness of their
employees without economic stress to the organization.”

The major findings of the study included:

• 24.3% lower incidence of hand hygiene preventable insurance claims
  compared to the control group
• 13.4% fewer sick episodes or unscheduled paid-time-off (PTO) in
  2014-2015 in the intervention group compared to the previous year
• 8 in 10 employees indicated having PURELL^™ products
  throughout the office positively impacted their impression of their
  employer

“As a physician, I am a strong advocate for hand hygiene,” said William
Jarvis, M.D., co-author of the study and former acting director of the
Hospital Infections Program at the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. “Doctors and other health professionals have been telling
people for years the benefits of the healthy habit of hand hygiene, but
some need proof that it makes a difference. This well-designed 13-month
real-world environment study, with thorough analysis of four years of
retrospective data, shows that when people use PURELL^™
products only a few times a day, it can reduce sickness and ultimately
reduce a trip to the doctor’s office. Improving the health of workplace
employees should be every employers’ top priority.”

For more information about the study, go to www.GOJO.com/purelladvancedworkforce.

YouTube video with Medical Mutual’s Kathy Golovan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w1SiS8hdag

About GOJO

GOJO Industries is the inventor of PURELL^® Hand Sanitizer and
the leading global producer and marketer of skin health and hygiene
solutions for away-from-home settings. The broad GOJO product portfolio
includes hand cleaning, handwashing, hand sanitizing and skin care
formulas under the GOJO^®, PURELL^® and PROVON^®
brand names. GOJO formulations use the latest advances in the science of
skin care and sustainability. GOJO is known for state-of-the-art
dispensing technology, engineered with attention to design,
sustainability and functionality. GOJO programs promote healthy
behaviors for hand hygiene, skin care and compliance in critical
environments. GOJO is a family owned corporation headquartered in Akron,
Ohio, USA, with offices in the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Japan
and Brazil.

About Medical Mutual of Ohio

Founded in 1934, Medical Mutual of Ohio is the oldest and largest health
insurance company based in Ohio. For more than 80 years, the company has
served customers with high-quality, affordable group and personal health
insurance plans, and third-party administrative services to self-insured
group customers. As a mutual health insurance company, Medical Mutual is
unique in that it operates for the benefit of its members. Unlike
publicly-traded insurance companies that must maximize their financial
return, Medical Mutual does not answer to stockholders or Wall Street
analysts. For more information, visit the company’s award-winning
website at MedMutual.com.

Contacts

GOJO Industries, Inc.
Samantha Williams
Public Relations
Director
330-703-8181
Willisam@gojo.com
www.gojo.com