Japan’s powerful business lobby, Keidanren said it is lifting the ban it temporarily introduced on hand dryers after concluding the risk of spreading the coronavirus from their use is negligible:

“We have confirmed that hand dryers do not spread infections. We need to take steps based on evidence, rather than accepting certain views without question.”

The update to the guidelines for over 1,400 companies came after Keidanren, also known as the Japan Business Federation, took into account expert opinions and the results of experiments.

According to The Japan Times, the Japan Business Federation is lifting the ban on hand dryers due to insufficient evidence that it contributes to the spread of coronavirus. A study on the matter was commissioned with the Hygiene & Microbiology Research Centre in Tokyo, and it was found that the risk of infection from microdroplets in the air after handwashing is “extremely low”.

The guidance is for hand dryers to be disinfected with alcohol and kept clean.

The entire Mitsubishi Electric Jet Towel™ range has Anti-Bac™ technology built into the casing, which is proven to curb the growth of bacteria. The secret is in the manufacturing process, where antibacterial silver ions are added to the resin as an integral part of the casing. This is unlike other leading brands whose antibacterial protection is only a surface coating which can be easily scratched or damaged during routine cleaning, compromising the protection and allowing bacteria to grow.

The Jet Towel™ range uses high-grade resin plastics that can be safely cleaned with alcohol cleaners* and are recyclable.