Public place disinfection technology specifications

Author: Shanghai Disinfection Association
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Many surveys reveal that microbial contamination in public places is widespread and severe. Some studies and experiments have proven that microorganisms on environmental surfaces and public items not only survive but can also persist for a long time, providing opportunities for the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, effective control of environmental microorganisms is a crucial measure for preventing infectious diseases. To control microbial contamination in the external environment, the country has issued several hygiene standards for public environments and items, but these standards only propose microbial quantity indicators without specifying specific disinfection methods. The purpose of compiling the "Technical Specification for Disinfection in Public Places" is to provide methods, measures, and technical requirements for disinfecting different public places and items, ensuring they meet national hygiene standards, thereby reducing environmental microbial contamination and the spread of infectious diseases, and providing a hygienic and safe environment for the general public and foreign visitors entering China.
In the prevention and control of infectious diseases, disinfection is important, but proper execution is even more so. If there are shortcomings in selecting disinfection targets and methods, or in the use of disinfectants and disinfection devices, not only will the disinfection effect be ineffective, but it may also lead to harm to people and pollution of the environment. Therefore, this specification pays special attention to the following aspects:
Regarding the selection of disinfection targets and frequency: The frequency of contamination in public places and common items varies, and the severity of harm after contamination also differs. If uniform disinfection is required for all, it would lead to waste of human and material resources, as well as environmental pollution from disinfectants. Therefore, different approaches and requirements must be adopted based on the specific targets. For ground, walls, and items with only occasional mild contamination, routine daily disinfection is generally not necessary; regular cleaning is sufficient, and disinfectants should only be used when there is clear microbial contamination. For items with high-frequency, repeated, and multi-source contamination, such as handrails, handles, and pull rings on public transportation, daily disinfection is required, as these items are frequently contaminated from multiple sources, leading to severe pollution and becoming potential mediums for transmitting infectious diseases. For indoor air, ventilation through open windows is generally sufficient, and special disinfection measures are not needed. However, when multiple people gather in enclosed spaces where ventilation is not possible, disinfection measures should be taken, and additional disinfection should be strengthened during outbreaks of respiratory infectious diseases. For toys and small items that are not frequently contaminated, daily disinfection is not necessary. For items used by multiple people and repeatedly, cleaning and disinfection measures should be implemented.
Regarding whether to increase the amount of disinfectant during infectious disease outbreaks or when there is clear repeated contamination: This specification generally does not advocate increasing the amount of disinfectant. The main consideration is that the dosage and exposure time used for disinfection are already sufficient to kill the target microorganisms. Increasing the dosage would inevitably lead to environmental pollution and damage to items. When determining the disinfectant dosage through disinfection experiments, the indicator microorganisms used are not only highly resistant but also present in large quantities (much greater than the actual microbial load to be eliminated during disinfection). Therefore, there is no need to increase the dosage—simply increasing the frequency of disinfection based on the contamination frequency is sufficient. This approach is wise from both economic, safety, effectiveness, and environmental perspectives.