7 April 2022

During the pandemic, to meet the demand for hand sanitisers, restrictions on testing, and other regulations required to manufacture these products, were lifted. Many of these short-term permits are now ending. This means that any Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) formulations will now need to undergo the full authorisation process to continue to be sold, or they must be removed from the market.

The original derogation was put in place by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the UK, following formulation recommendations by the World Health Organisation (WHO). HSE have now released a statement regarding the ending of these arrangements. 

Supply of hand sanitiser products in the UK

Current arrangements for hand sanitiser permits come to an end.

In response to the pandemic, HSE took steps to assist industry’s efforts to increase the availability of hand sanitisers to help reduce the spread/transmission of COVID-19.
 
One of these steps was establishing special arrangements to issue critical situation permits that enable short-term derogations from the normal Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) requirements for product authorisation.
 
As these short-term permits begin to approach their expiry dates, HSE has gathered information from a range of stakeholders about the current availability of hand sanitisers on the UK market. The outcome suggests that, whilst there is an ongoing need for hand sanitiser products, current demand can be met by products supplied under the normal arrangements in BPR.
 
This means that the special arrangements for supplying hand sanitiser products, put in place at the beginning of the pandemic, will be discontinued. The assessment of any ongoing applications made under the current arrangements will be completed.
 
Any hand sanitiser products that have already been granted a permit can continue to be supplied and used until that permit expires.

Consumers are advised to look out for any products whose claims are unsubstantiated or unrealistic and do not meet the normal, pre-pandemic, regulations.

We would like to reassure users that our own alcohol-based hand disinfectant, HANDSAN, is tested with all the appropriate EN test methods to support all the claims for the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) and meets all the normal relevant requirements. We can assure customers that supply of Handsan will continue without any interruption.

To read our original article on the temporary derogation regarding alcohol hand sanitisers during the pandemic, click HERE.