A method of and system for monitoring an instance and a duration of hand-washing activity using a lightweight, wearable device including a radio frequency identification tag reader; an external communication device; an alarm device that is adapted to generate at least one of a visual, an audible, and a haptic signal; data storing device(s) having multi-dimensional movement, acceleration, and/or moment data representative of hand-washing activity; an accelerometer to measure multi-dimensional movement and acceleration of the device; a gyroscope to measure multi-dimensional movement and moment of the device; and a processing device that uses measured multi-dimensional movement, acceleration, and/or moment data to evaluate hand-washing activity by determining when hand-washing activity has begun and ended and by comparing the duration of hand-washing activity to a pre-determined minimum hand-washing requirement, to determine whether or not said hand-washing activity complies with the minimum hand-washing requirements.