The Signature Hospitality Group (SHG) has installed hands-free door openings across off of its non-latched bathroom doors to help customers and staff maintain their hand hygiene.
The foot handles, called Fandles, are an Australian innovation developed off the back of people saying they do not like touching doors after washing their hands in the bathroom. With COVID-19 making people think even more about hand hygiene and touching surfaces, the Fandle a more hygienic way for staff and customers to complete the very simple act of opening doors.
Signature Hospitality Group CEO and Managing Director, James Sinclair, says it was one of those situations that you realised you’d not been missing until it was presented.
“At SHG, we have embraced our responsibility to keep our employees, partners, and our patrons as safe as possible from COVID-19 and as part of this hygiene is paramount for us. We introduced strong COVID practices from the onset of the pandemic and were pleased to be able to implement Fandle seamlessly across our Sporting Globe and TGI Friday venues over the last six months.
“It’s a well-known fact that the average person would prefer to not touch the handle of a bathroom door as they leave and we’re happy to now offer a functional solution for those who’d like the option.
“The Fandle is a one-off purchase to help us evolve even further in our health and safety practices and provide a better hygienic experience at our venues. It’s one we think will be welcomed regardless of the presence of a pandemic.”
Fandle Co-Founder, Iva Madderom, said with hygiene and safety protocols top of mind, the Fandle is a signal to customers, staff and visitors that their health is a priority.
“We kicked around the idea for a while; I mean who actually feels completely comfortable opening a public bathroom door with their bare hands, directly after they’ve just washed them? We’ve all seen ‘that’ person who bypasses the tap directly after doing their ‘business’.
“A bit of downtime in 2020 and a stronger-than-ever focus on personal hygiene during COVID gave us the impetus to launch a product we knew would have enduring appeal. And we’re thrilled that an established and respected business, like the Signature Hospitality Group realised its potential, and have elected to install Fandles in all of the group’s venues.”