HSI Surface Materials & Products Certification Program
The Healthcare Surfaces Institute is developing the first certification program for healthcare surface and medical device manufacturers.HSI is working to solve to this critical problem:
How should surface materials be tested to ensure they can be cleaned and disinfected – using EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectants – without creating damage that supports the growth and spread of microbes?
Currently, there are no science-based standard testing requirements to validate that surface materials or products can be effectively cleaned and disinfected following existing infection prevention protocols. We are going to change that.
Our patent-pending certification program will provide surface disinfectant compatibility testing as a minimum standard for surface materials and assembled products.
The HSI Surface Material and Product Certification program will:
Help manufacturers develop products that can be safely cleaned, disinfected, and sterilized by using our surface testing standards.
Provide manufacturers with a certificate of material compatibility validation on tested products from the Healthcare Surfaces Institute.
Give hospitals and other healthcare facilities the ability to identify surface materials and products that have been validated for compatibility.
Program Objectives
Development of consistent test methods that include compatibility testing of all categories of EPA-registered disinfectants and no-touch disinfection, such as UV and hydrogen peroxide vapor.
Evaluation of surfaces at a micro-level. Damage is often unseen, creating microbial reservoirs that support the growth and proliferation of microbes.
The identification of the top four microbes for all testing with the option for additional microbial testing. The goal is to have consistent, measurable data and information.
Testing of products as assemblies. Many products are made using multiple types of surface materials and or textiles. When combined on one product, the ability to disinfect all materials efficiently and effectively can be compromised, causing the degradation of surface materials.
Evaluation of IFUs to ensure they provide guidance and recommendations pertinent to active healthcare environments and that support infection prevention processes and protocols.
Our Certification Teams
Four teams of scientists have been working closely with healthcare professionals to develop a comprehensive science-based surface certification program. Along with our board of directors and scientific advisory board, our initiative groups are formed by volunteers highly experienced in many areas of science, healthcare, and industry. We would not be able to reach our goals without the commitment of these volunteers, who have given HSI their time and expertise to help create the guidelines, standards, and test methods for our comprehensive, science-based certification program. We thank all of you!
As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, we rely on donations to save lives. We need your help.
Please consider donating, becoming a member, or exploring corporate sponsorship through your workplace today.
Healthcare Surfaces Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; all donations are tax-deductible. Copyright © 2023 Healthcare Surfaces Institute. All rights reserved. Surfaces Matter™ is a trademark of Healthcare Surfaces Institute.
Terms and Conditions