observed what happened. The parts were already exhibiting cracks
completely through the thickness of the material in mere hours
of immersion — it was complete destruction, and one of the
most incompatible combinations you can think of. Stuff crumbled
amazingly fast right in front of my eyes, so there was no doubt
in my mind that the disinfectants were tough on the materials.”
The Quest for Standards
Compounding the issue is that currently, industry standard
exists for evaluating surface compatibility with disinfectants,
leaving healthcare personnel without the necessary tools or
education to make optimal decisions about which disinfectants
to use. Additionally, when new hospitals are being designed or
existing facilities are being remodeled, there is no real guidance
on which surface materials to incorporate that will withstand the
rigors of the healthcare environment. For biomedical engineers
and designers, material compatibility with disinfectants is often an
afterthought, but it should arguably be a key part of the design
process if the equipment requires cleaning and disinfecting.
The Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) promulgates guidance
that recommends minimum program, space, functional program,
patient handling, infection prevention, architectural detail, and
surface and furnishing needs for clinical and support areas of
hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, rehabilitation facilities, and
nursing and other residential-care facilities. When it comes to
surface material selection, the FGI’s 2010 edition of the guidelines,
provides the following information in A1.2-3.2.1.5 Surface
selection characteristics and criteria: “Testing standards can
verify whether a product provides specific characteristics. When
selecting surfaces and furnishings, verification of third-party
independent testing is expected to ensure that surfaces meet
necessary code requirements. It is understood that in certain areas
of the healthcare facility it will not be possible to use product with
all these characteristics; however, the goal is to strive to choose
products with as many of these characteristics as possible.”
According to the FGI, preferred surface characteristics (of the
ideal product) include:
● Easy to maintain, repair and clean
● Does not support microbial growth
● Non-porous and smooth
● Durable
● Sustainable
● Low-VOC (no off-gassing)
● Cost-effective (initial and life-cycle cost-effectiveness)
● Has compatible substrate and materials for surface assemblies
● Seamless
● Resilient, impact-resistant
There are more than 30 standards-setting agencies in existence,
yet there is still no single, widely accepted, standard for the testing
of materials for compatibility with chemistries used for cleaning
and disinfection in the healthcare environment.
It is critical to use the right material for the proper application,
but without standardized testing, this continued variability causes
confusion and allows the current incompatibility epidemic to
continue unchecked. The interaction between the cleaner/
disinfectant and the material is critical, but most often, this is
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NO PURCH. REQUIRED. 6/22/20–8/21/20. Open to legal residents of US and Canada (excl. Quebec and
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www.healthcarehygienemagazine.com • august 2020
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