scope:

This European Standard 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 standard. This European Standard also specifies the terms and definitions which are used in two or more of the European Standards. It is applicable to products for which activity is claimed against the following micro-organisms: vegetative bacteria, bacterial spores, fungi, fungal spores and viruses. 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 competent bodies in assessing claims made by the manufacturer or 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 it is applicable to chemical disinfectants and antiseptics to be used in areas and situations where disinfection or antisepsis are medically indicated. Such indications occur in patient care: in hospitals, in community medical facilities and dental institutions, 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 it is applicable to chemical disinfectants and antiseptics to be used in the areas of breeding, husbandry, production, transport and disposal of animals. It is not applicable to chemical disinfectants used in the food chain following death and entry to the processing industry. In food, industrial, domestic and institutional areas it is applicable to chemical disinfectants and antiseptics to be used in processing, distribution and retailing of food of animal or vegetable origin. It is also applicable to products for all public areas where disinfection is not medically indicated (homes, catering, schools, nurseries, transports, hotels, offices etc.) and products used in packaging, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, cosmetic etc. industries. This European Standard is also applicable to products for which no particular area of application is specified (e.g. active substances under development). The European Standard does not refer to methods for testing the toxicological and ecotoxicological properties of products.