Hygiene in medical and non-medical facilities

We check whether hygiene standards are being correctly observed in relevant facilities.

What are we doing?

We ensure that work is carried out in a hygienic manner in facilities where hygiene is important. To do this, we carry out checks in these facilities. We check whether certain legally established regulations are being complied with in the facilities. These regulations concern, for example, the cleaning and disinfection of work surfaces, hands or medical instruments. The regulations are intended to reduce the risk of infection with contagious diseases.

We monitor various types of facilities:

• medical facilities such as doctors' surgeries and hospitals
• non-medical facilities such as tattoo and piercing studios, beauty salons, chiropodists, podiatrists and barbershops
• Facilities where many people come together in a confined space on a daily basis, such as retirement and nursing homes, schools, daycare centres and temporary accommodation for refugees or homeless people

We visit these facilities and take a close look at how they work. We check whether medical devices are being properly reprocessed, whether there is a hygiene plan in place and whether it is being followed. During our visits, we advise the management of the facilities. If necessary, we tell them what they need to improve. In serious cases, we can impose fines or temporarily close a facility.

We visit some types of facilities regularly, while others are subject to random checks. If we receive a complaint about poor hygiene conditions in a facility, we can also inspect the facility without making an appointment in advance.

Why do we do this?

Unclean working practices can spread disease-causing agents. Our inspections are designed to ensure that facilities comply with the necessary hygiene rules. This is the only way to prevent diseases from spreading and people from becoming ill.

Examples of communicable diseases include:

• Vomiting and diarrhoea
• Measles
• Meningococcal infections
• Chickenpox
• Whooping cough
• Diphtheria
• Cholera

What is the legal basis?

Our work is based on the Infection Protection Act (IfSG) and the Medical Devices Implementation Act (MPDG). We check compliance with the following regulations in particular:

• Infection Hygiene Ordinance (a Bremen ordinance)
• Ordinance on Hygiene and Infection Prevention in Medical Facilities (a Bremen ordinance)
• Medical Devices Operator Ordinance (a nationwide ordinance)