Update to European hand sanitization standards

The two main hand disinfectant standards within the European Union have been updated.:

EN 1499:1997

Has been replaced with:

EN 1499:2013 Chemical disinfectants and antiseptics. Hygienic handwash. Test method and requirements (phase 2/step 2)

And:

EN 1500: 1997

Has been updated with:

EN 1500:2013- Chemical disinfectants and antiseptics. Hygienic handrub. Test method and requirements (phase 2/step 2)

The first, EN1499 relates to hygienic handwash, and the second, EN 1500, relates to hygienic hand disinfection. Both are based on reducing the counts of bacteria on artificially contaminated hands.

In addition, the following standard relating to the preservation of test strains has also been modified:

EN 12353:2013

Chemical disinfectants and antiseptics. Preservation of test organisms used for the determination of bactericidal (including Legionella), mycobactericidal, sporicidal, fungicidal and virucidal (including bacteriophages) activity
Posted by Tim Sandle