Begs the question, why install hot taps at all, and with it a further saving on materials and labour.

Are people less likely to wash their hand if the water is cold? Health and cost implications for the NHS?

I don't get the magazine (yet!) but I assume that Cath's point was that, as long as you use soap, hot water is unnecessary, and that since only a little hot water is used at a tine, a great proportion is wasted in the pipes, and also, if you have a combi boiler, the heating process is relatively inefficient? If so, I agree with all that wholeheartedly!

Posted By: SteamyTeaI think it is a great idea, will really encourage all the people in the food industry to carry on washing their hands at a regular interval. Should promote this idea in hospitals too.

Washing your hands for a long time with systematic scrubbing of the fingers etc came from hospitals - the staff know all about it. The problem in hospitals is mainly visitors. I have to say though that I think introducing a cold water only regime is likely to cause food industry staff, hospital staff and hospital visitors (in fact everybody it is imposed on) to rebel and to wash their hands less. People need to be educated that (a) it's no less hygenic to wash in cold water and (b) there's a good reason that they care about to do so. Only then should cold water handwashing replace an existing system.

The difficulty is convincing people of (b)