Hand IQ Launches Smart Handwashing Assistant
Health and wellness tech company Hand IQ is bringing to market a smart handwashing assistant early next year.
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the No. 1 way to stop deadly diseases like COVID-19 from spreading is to wash or sanitize your hands frequently.
The Hand IQ assistant, which attaches to soap or sanitizing dispensers, uses sensors and Bluetooth technology to anonymously detect an individual’s presence in a shared area, like a bathroom, kitchen, or conference room. It reminds people to wash their hands and guides them through the process. Hand IQ’s mobile app reinforces team and individual accountability through compliance data dashboards and real-time reporting. And businesses can leverage “clean hands verified by Hand IQ signage and digital marketing materials, which are especially valuable resources for businesses such as restaurants.
A recent Datassential study notes “safety trumps everything” when it comes to restaurant re-openings.
The spread of germs from the hands of food workers to food is the most common cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurants. Each year, 48 million Americans become sick from foodborne illness. The cost of a single foodborne illness outbreak at a fast-casual establishment could cost up to $2.1 million. America’s food industry has a $55.5 billion food safety problem. Almost 90% of foodborne illnesses in restaurants could be prevented with proper handwashing. Hand IQ offers a high-tech, low-cost solution for restaurants and businesses to signal their commitment to the safety of both their customers and their employees, and to continue raising awareness about the importance of handwashing.
Available in Q1
Hand IQ is in pilot tests and discussions with Kitchen United Mix, Del Taco, and other undisclosed quick service and fast-casual restaurant chains. The smart handwashing assistant is also suitable for healthcare, retail environments and the consumer home. Hand IQ is now accepting orders for the devices, which will ship in volume starting in the first quarter of 2021.