VDI guideline on hygienic surfaces

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Dangerous germs can persist on various surfaces and endanger the health of many. The VDI 5706 guideline classifies surfaces according to risk levels and provides hygiene-related design recommendations. It serves as a guide for the assessment of hygienic surfaces.

Woman wipes surface in hospital — The new VDI guideline provides guidance for the assessment of hygienic surfaces. The target groups of the VDI 5706 guideline are medical device manufacturers, users of medical devices and operators of medical facilities, manufacturers and users of objects in the medical environment, hospital planners and supervisory authorities (Image: VDI, brizmaker/Shutterstock)

Until now, there have been no guidelines for the hygienic design of product surfaces in the medical sector. The VDI has now published VDI 5706, a new guideline on hygienic surfaces for medical device manufacturers, users and operators of medical facilities.

Classification according to risk levels

VDI 5706 Sheet 1 classifies hygienically relevant surfaces in medical facilities into risk levels and hygiene classes. The classification is based on the area of use, the frequency of contact and the associated risk of colonization or infection.

Risk to patients

The assessment of the risk relates primarily to patients. Manufacturers, users and operators of medical facilities can now derive decisions for the design of a surface and for the definition of cleaning/disinfection measures from the classification and hygiene classes.

Recommendations for surface designs

VDI 5706 Sheet 2 provides an overview of hygiene-relevant design recommendations for hygienically relevant surfaces and contains corresponding design instructions. It refers to corresponding surfaces of medical devices, furnishings and floor surfaces in the healthcare sector. These surfaces are cleaned in particular by wiping or disinfecting. If cleaning is inadequate, there is a risk of dangerous microorganisms being transferred to patients or staff and causing infections.

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