Two
European Hand Disinfectant Standards have recently been updated. They are BS EN 1499 2013 Edition, “Chemical
disinfectants and antiseptics. Hygienic handwash. Test method and requirements
(phase 2/step 2),” and BS EN 1500 2013 Edition, “Chemical disinfectants and
antiseptics. Hygienic handrub. Test method and requirements (phase 2/step
2).” Both are available now from
Document Centre Inc., an authorized Standards Distributor.
The
two standards apply to products for hygienic hand cleansing for disinfection in
medical situations like hospitals, clinics and nursing homes, as well as for
general use in the workplace and home.
The tests allow for the evaluation of the reduction of “transient
microbial flora” (bacterial organisms) on hands when used by volunteers.
BS
EN 1499:2013 covers cleansing by use of a hand wash product. It replaces the previous BS EN 1499:1997
Edition. However, results from tests
using the previous edition are still valid.
Changes
to BS EN 1499 are neutralization (in Section 5.5.1.2), the procedure in Annex
A, and a complete revision of all Annexes.
The committee has worked to adapt the standard to the most recent state
of the science, correcting errors and ambiguities. The standard was also edited for better
comprehension and readability.
BS
EN 1500:2013 provides tests for the effectiveness of hand rubs. Again, while the new document replaces the
now obsolete BS EN 1499:1997, tests done to the old standard are still valid.
Changes
to the BS EN 1500 again cover neutralization (Section 5.5.1.2) and updating of
the Annexes. The number of volunteers in
Section 5.5.1.4 and the statistical evaluation from Section 5.8 have also been
changed. The same need to update the
content to meet current “best practices” and to make for easier reading again
apply.
While
these standards have been developed by CEN for European adoption, they are used
in many other jurisdictions (Canada, for example). With the on-going concern regarding the
spread of medically resistance infections in hospital and other medical
settings, these requirements are essential in protecting the public.
BS
EN Standards (the official English Language Editions of EN documents) are
available from Document Center’s web store, www.document-center.com. Or contact us by phone (650-591-7600), fax
(650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com). For more standards on this topic, see
Document Center’s List of Standards on Disinfectants and Antiseptics.
Posted by Tim Sandle
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