This document specifies the European Standards to which products have to conform in order to support the claims for microbicidal activity which are referred to in this document.
This document also specifies terms and definitions which are used in European Standards.
It is applicable to products for which activity is claimed against the following microorganisms: vegetative bacteria (including mycobacteria and Legionella), bacterial spores, yeasts, fungal spores and viruses (including bacteriophages).
It is intended to:
a) enable manufacturers of products to select the appropriate standards to be used in order to provide data which support their claims for a specific product;
b) enable users of the product to assess the information provided by the manufacturer in relation to the use for which they intend to use the product;
c) assist regulatory authorities in assessing claims made by the manufacturer or by the person responsible for placing the product on the market.
It is applicable to products to be used in the area of human medicine, the veterinary area and in food, industrial, domestic and institutional areas.
In the area of human medicine (Working Group 1, i.e. WG 1), it is applicable to chemical disinfectants and antiseptics to be used in areas and situations where disinfection or antisepsis is medically indicated. Such indications occur in patient care
— in hospitals, in community medical facilities, dental institutions and medical laboratories for analyses and research,
— in clinics of schools, of kindergartens and of nursing homes,
— and may also occur in the workplace and in the home. It may also include services such as in laundries and kitchens supplying products directly for the patient.
In the veterinary area (WG 2) it is applicable to chemical disinfectants and antiseptics to be used in the areas of breeding, husbandry, veterinary care facilities, production, transport and disposal of animals and veterinary laboratories for analyses and resear ...