Page 74 - School Infection Control Handbook - 2010

Chapter 4: Selection of Products, Dispensing Equipment, and Application Systems
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Chapter 4.C. Using the Disinfectant Label Information to Make Informed Decisions
Introduction
Properly interpreting the information on a product label is the key to selecting the right products
for each purpose and to using it effectively. Because manufacturers design and test their products
to be effective under the conditions stated on the label, they cannot stand behind the product if
the directions are not followed exactly. In addition, the product’s efficacy cannot be assured. For
products designed to be used in more than one capacity (e.g., cleaner, sanitizer, and disinfectant),
the label lists the specific dilutions and contact times, which usually vary for each function.
The label content for a product may change frequently, so it is important to review the labels of
products used on a regular basis.
Companies also provide technical sheets listing the effectiveness against microbes in tests of
their product. These sheets were helpful when the H1N1 outbreak first occurred to determine
whether the product had been tested for influenza. Schools may be able to use the information
provided in these sheets to determine whether existing products may be used for current
outbreaks.
The following information and the more comprehensive companion document, Appendix B.2.
Interpreting the Disinfectant Label: Explanations and Examples , provide a comprehensive
overview of a label’s information to assist in the selection, use, and management of disinfectants.
What is the role of a disinfectant label?
A label for a federally registered antimicrobial product (disinfectants and sanitizers) registered
by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considered a legal document because the EPA
uses the label to summarize scientific information about that formula and how it complies with
the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. The scientific information includes
toxicology, environmental impacts, its effectiveness against specific microbes, and its chemical
makeup.
This information represents the required research and registration procedures that a disinfectant
undergoes before reaching the market. The information obtained in this process is referred to as
the label or labeling, two similar words but with different meanings.
The label is the information printed on or attached to the disinfectant container; it has several
interpretations:
x To the buyer or user, the label is the main source of information on how to use the
product correctly, legally, and safely.
x To the manufacturer, the label is the product’s clearance by EPA to sell the product.
x To governmental agencies, including the EPA, the label is a way to control the
distribution, storage, sale, use, and disposal of the product, and to ensure its proper use.
Labeling refers to all the information that might be received from a company or listed on its
sales representatives’ Web sites, and other information accompanying the product or referred
to on the label.