Significance and Use
5.1 Hand hygiene is considered one of the most important measures for preventing the spread of infectious microorganisms and is critical for reducing the incidence of food-borne disease. Food-handling settings are unique in that moderate to heavy soil load present on hands often can influence the ability of a product to remove or kill microorganisms (3, 4). Test methods are needed for assessing the efficacy of hand hygiene products under conditions representative of those encountered in a food-handling environment.
5.2 This test method is specifically designed to evaluate the effectiveness of food-handler products to kill and remove bacteria from experimentally-contaminated hands under conditions of moderate to heavy organic soil load. The inclusion of soils typical of food service setting makes this a methodology more appropriate than Test Method E1174, which was designed to evaluate healthcare personnel hand washes and does not include an option to include soil (4).
Scope
1.1 This test method is designed to determine the activity of food-handler handwashes against transient bacterial flora on the hands.
1.2 Performance of this procedure requires the knowledge of regulations pertaining to the protection of human subjects (1)2.
1.3 This test method should be performed by persons with training in microbiology, in facilities designed and equipped for work with potentially infectious agents at biosafety level 2 (2).
1.4 Units—The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For more specific precautionary statements see 8.1.1.
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
