Compliance
Biocide regulations can be complex, let us help simplify them for you.
Biocide regulations can be complex, let us help simplify them for you.
We are experts in navigating the UK and EU biocide regulations. This niche specialism allows us to guide customers to compliance, highlighting common pitfalls and bottlenecks.
Our equipment is designed to meet or exceed all relevant regulations and legislation and forms a solid foundation for compliance.
Formalin (aqueous Formaldehyde) has been the ‘gold standard’ sanitiser for over a century but has suffered regulatory confusion in recent years.
On 01/02/2022, Formaldehyde was approved for use under the EU and UK Biocidal Product Regulations (BPR), in product types PT2 and PT3:
The path to this approval status has been long, starting with a dossier prepared in 2007-2008.
This lengthy approval process was blamed for some confusion regarding the legality of Formaldehyde. Thankfully now the process is complete and the status is clear.
The Biocidal Products Committee (BPC) prepares the opinions of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) which ultimately guides the approval of biocides in the EU and UK.
Their report on Formaldehyde highlights several key points from consultations and preparatory work:
Some manufacturers offering alternatives have also encouraged users to believe that Formaldehyde is more dangerous than their products. Unfortunately it is very unlikely that any chemical sanitiser can be thought of as a ‘safe’ product when its function is dependent on it being rather ‘unsafe’. If a chemical kills micro-organisms (bacteria etc), it’s quite certain to do macro-organisms (including humans) significant harm if unmanaged. All hazardous chemicals must be professionally managed for safety and compliance, whether they contain Formaldehyde or not.
Glutaraldehyde Quaternary Ammonium
Formaldehyde’s active substance approval documents highlight the importance of proper management for the professional user. To comply with the regulations, there are conditional elements written into the approval documents:
Within the UK, it is also expected that use will be restricted to those classified as “Professional with demonstrated competence”.
Our systems provide a unique backbone for compliance with all the above criteria.