The procedure may be used to test the effectiveness of antimicrobial handwashing agents. The test formulations may be designed for frequent use to reduce the transient bacterial flora on hands.

1.1 This test method covers the determination of the effectiveness of antimicrobial handwashing agents for the reduction of transient microbial flora when used in a handwashing procedure.

1.2 A knowledge of microbiological techniques is required for these procedures.

1.3 In this test method metric units are used for all applications except for distance in which case inches are used and metric units follow in parentheses.

1.4 This test method may be used to evaluate topical antimicrobial handwash formulations.

1.5 Performance of this procedure requires the knowledge of regulations pertaining to the protection of human subjects.

This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns if any associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For more specific precautionary statements see .

1.1 This test method is designed to determine the effectiveness of antimicrobial handwashing agents for the reduction of transient microbial flora when used in a handwashing procedure.

1.2 A knowledge of microbiological techniques is required for these procedures.

1.3 In this test method metric units are used for all applications except for distance in which case inches are used and metric units follow in parentheses.

1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns if any associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For more specific precautionary statements see Note 1.

1.4 This method may be used to evaluate topical antimicrobial handwash formulations.

1.5 Performance of this procedure requires the knowledge of regulations pertaining to the protection of human subjects.

1.1 This test method covers determining the effectiveness of an antibacterial handwash for reducing the level of aerobic bacterial flora on the hands following an extended period of use.

1.2 A knowledge of microbiological techniques is required for these procedures.

1.3 In this test method metric units are used for all applications except for distance. In this case inches are used and metric units follow in parentheses.

1.4 Performance of this procedure requires the knowledge of regulations pertaining to the protection of human subjects. (Title 21 CFR Part 50).

This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns if any associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

This in vivo procedure is designed to test the ability of hygienic handwash or handrub agents to eliminate fungal contamination from experimentally-contaminated hands. Since the two thumbpads and all eight fingerpads can be used in any given test it allows for the incorporation of an input control (two) control for viable cells of the test fungus remaining after the inoculum has been allowed to dry (two) fungal cells eliminated after treatment with a control or reference solution (two) and up to four replicates to assess the fungus-eliminating efficiency of the formulation under test. No more than 100 x00B5;L of the test fungal suspension is required to complete one test.

Whereas this test method is designed to work with fungi similar ASTM standards exist for testing against viruses (Test Method E 1838) and vegetative bacteria (Test Method E 2276).

Infectious microorganisms left on hands after washing can be reduced further by drying the washed hands with paper cloth or warm air (5). A step for the drying of fingerpads after exposure to the control or test solution therefore has not been included to avoid fungal removal by the drying process itself.

This test method is not meant for testing surgical hand scrubs or preoperative skin preps.

The level of contamination with viable fungi on each fingerpad after the drying of the inoculum should be at least 10⁴ CFU so that it would permit the detection of up to a 4-log₁₀ reduction in the viability titer of the test organism by a test formulation under the conditions of this test. This in itself does not represent the product performance criterion which may vary depending on the jurisdiction and the nature of the formulation being evaluated.

1.1 This test method is designed to assess the ability of hygienic handwash and handrub agents to reduce levels of fungal contamination on hands (3). This test method is not meant for use with surgical hand scrubs (Test Method E 1115) or preoperative skin preps (Test Method E 1173).

1.2 Performance of this procedure requires the knowledge of regulations pertaining to human experimentation.

1.3 The test method should be performed by persons with training in microbiology in facilities designed and equipped for work with infectious agents at biosafety level 2 (4).

1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.

1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns if any associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

This procedure has been designed to evaluate handwash products using a palmar surface only contamination method. This method is an alternative contamination procedure to that listed in Test Method E1174. The current contamination procedure in Test Method E1174 describes a standardized procedure for contaminating the entire hand palmar surface and back directly using a marker organism. The contamination procedure in Test Method E1174 does not necessarily represent real world hand contamination. During routine activities it is only the palmar surface comprising palms fingers and finger pads of the hands that becomes contaminated by contact with transient microorganisms. These microorganisms can then be transferred to food or objects. Methods to measure the amount of microorganisms transferred to food or objects can be found in Fischler et al and Fuls et al and will be developed into a future ASTM standard.

1.1 This test method covers the determination of the effectiveness of antimicrobial handwashing agents for the reduction of transient microbial flora when used in a handwashing procedure.

1.2 A knowledge of microbiological techniques is required for these procedures.

1.3 This test method may be used to evaluate topical antimicrobial handwash formulations.

1.4 Performance of this procedure requires the knowledge of regulations pertaining to the protection of human subjects.

1.5 In this test method SI units are used for all applications except for distance in which case inches are used and SI units follow in parentheses.

1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns if any associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For more specific precautionary statements see 8.5.