Sanitation is ... Hygiene and sanitation

Hygiene and sanitation are interrelated, but not identical concepts. How were their principles formed and what are they?

Historical digression

As we remember from school lessons, in ancient Greece and Rome there was literally a cult of purity of the body. Public baths and a developed water supply system contributed to the fact that people regularly engaged in their own hygiene. Moreover, in Latin, the word sanitas means "health." Obviously, for the Romans these concepts were closely interrelated.

With the advent of the Middle Ages, the habit of caring for his body was lost. The sewage poured directly from the window into the streets, even the monarchs were proud of how rarely they take a bath. Not surprisingly, it was for this period that the most deadly epidemics that killed many lives occurred.

Later it became clear that purity was necessary. Scientists have discovered microorganisms, which are the causative agents of many diseases. The foundations of sanitation began to form, which gave a serious impetus to the development of medicine and, in particular, surgery. Beginning to decrease postoperative, as well as maternal and infant mortality. People again came to the conclusion about the need to keep their body clean, because it was at least some kind of prevention of many diseases. Also one of the most significant achievements in this area was the invention of a modern toilet, which allowed people to distance themselves as much as possible from contact with products of their own vital activity.

Mythology

The idea of the need to keep the body clean in order to preserve health was reflected in the ancient Greek culture. Among other inhabitants of Olympus was a certain Asklepiy, who was responsible for the art of healing. And he had a daughter named Hygia, whose name was translated as "healthy." In Rome, it corresponded Salyuta, also responsible for the preservation of physical well-being and prosperity. From the Greek name of the goddess, as is obvious, the name of science, now known to us as hygiene, has occurred.

Basics

The rules of sanitation in everyday life are quite simple:

• Daily shower / bath;
• Regular hand washing, including after coming from the street, before eating, after a toilet, etc.;
• Use of an individual towel, comb, etc .;
• Brushing your teeth 2 times a day;
• Regular change of underwear and clothes, timely washing;
• Preference should be given to natural tissues;
• Dressing follows the weather, the same applies to shoes.

There are separate, more highly specialized sections of hygiene, dedicated to cooking, keeping the house clean, rational nutrition and sleep, etc. But in general they boil down to the fact that it is necessary to wash all the products and thermally treat some of them, and also Ventilate the dwelling and regularly clean it. The basics of sanitation and hygiene are familiar to everyone, because they have been planted to us since childhood. But this is more about personal care, but what about the workplace?

Industrial sanitation

Cleanliness is important not only in everyday life, but also at work. But here we are talking not only about the lack of contact with dangerous microorganisms, but also about some other important things. According to the laws of the Russian Federation, the employer is obliged to provide his employee with decent working conditions. This may mean different, but if we talk, for example, about the office, then the room should maintain normal temperature and humidity, ventilation and lighting work well. There should be no noise pollution, otherwise it is necessary to take appropriate measures, for example, work in protective headphones. If it is a question of production, staff must be given special clothing, and in some cases also gloves, helmets, respirators and other personal protective equipment.

Clearly, sanitation is important. Therefore, exported and imported foodstuffs in any country undergo a thorough check not the subject of compliance with the norms established individually. In Russia, this is done by Rospotrebnadzor, and labor sanitation is an area of interest for specialized inspectorates. So if the norms are not respected, you can go there.

Hygiene and sanitation

Obviously, these two concepts are closely interrelated. But still they have somewhat different meanings. If hygiene is for the most part a theorized science, then sanitation is its practical application. But in everyday life and everyday life these concepts can often replace each other without a serious loss of meaning. Although sometimes under sanitation means the measures taken by organizations and the state, and under hygiene - rituals of individual care of a person for their body and home.

The development of science on the need to maintain cleanliness has significantly reduced the incidence of a number of ailments: dysentery, salmonellosis, helminthic invasion, cholera, hepatitis A, typhoid, SARS, intestinal infections, etc. All these are so-called diseases of dirty hands. Many more infections are transmitted through water. And if in civilized countries this is hardly worth worrying about, then we have better drinking water in some regions only from bottles bought in stores. At the moment, according to WHO estimates, about 1 billion people do not have access to clean water at all, not to mention drinking water.

Modern rules

Despite the increased pace of life in megacities, people do not neglect personal hygiene. Now this concept covers a much larger range of measures than before. This is not only a regular washing of the body and hair, as well as cleaning your teeth and washing, but also epilation, the use of deodorant or antiperspirant, timely manicure and pedicure. A neat appearance is not only a pledge of one's own health, but also a display of respect for the society, because in megacities people have to face each other much more often and interact more tightly.

Modern medicine also does not lag behind: here sanitation is actually a synonym for sterility, because healing certain diseases, you can not transfer the patient to others. This is especially important when it comes to surgery, because during operations, the human body is extremely vulnerable and deprived of virtually all of its protective mechanisms.

Criticism

Probably, the rules of sanitation and hygiene will be supplemented in the future. After all, there are still cases of contact infection, and with due regard for their purity, they should not be. On the other hand, some doctors criticize the excessive desire to get rid of the slightest threat of interaction with dirt and dust, believing that too advanced sanitation is a possible cause of an increase in the incidence of allergies. This is because immunity, without encountering natural dangers in the form of microbes and dirt, begins to react pathologically to innocuous factors. Who is right, while it is difficult to say, it's just a theory.