INSTA (Internordic Standard) 800 is a standardized method for determining, assessing, and managing cleaning quality. The standard was developed by SIS, the Swedish Standards Institute, in collaboration with its Nordic counterparts and is available for purchase on their website. Below is a brief description of how the standard can be used.
A system for monitoring cleaning quality
Cleaning and sanitation are concepts about which we often have strong opinions, but which few people can actually assess in a consistent manner without a method. This is precisely where INSTA comes into its own. The standard offers a ready-made system for quality assurance in cleaning. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. The system reduces subjectivity and makes it easier to communicate quality requirements and conduct independent inspections.
INSTA can be used in several different ways:
- To verify that the desired cleaning quality has been achieved.
- For evaluating soiling and/or re-soiling.
- As a requirement in connection with the procurement of cleaning services.
- To assess what is required to achieve a given level of quality.
- To determine the level achieved in relation to the effort.
INSTA Core Principles
The standard describes two main principles: visual inspection and inspection by measurement. The standard focuses on visual inspection, and this is what is usually meant when the standard is cited as a method.
The implementation of INSTA begins by determining the scope of cleaning tasks and assigning quality profiles to facilities, along with any additional requirements. Cleaning frequencies, spot checks, and areas of responsibility are established.
An example of quality profiles for a hospital is shown below. Well-designed quality profiles can help save resources and guide cleaning efforts, for example, by focusing less on loose dirt and ceilings/floors and more on fixtures/walls and surface dirt. NOTE. Hospitals typically require additional requirements for the quality profile, such as the requirement that no human biological material be present and limit values for invisible contamination. For this reason, there is a new standard, SS8760014, which is specifically tailored to hospitals’ hygiene requirements.
Table – Quality Profiles
INSTA Check
The assessment of visual cleanliness is conducted by walking through the premises and inspecting all relevant surfaces. It is permissible to view surfaces from an oblique angle and to bend down to check for dirt under furniture. It is also permissible to move lighter furniture and use a cloth to test whether surface dirt can be cleaned or not. For high surfaces, a ladder or a mirror on a stick may be used. It is not permitted to use additional lighting or to run fingers over the surface.
Example: INSTA inspection of a 30 m² healthcare facility:
The presence of the same type of dirt (debris, dust, stains, surface dirt) within a defined area of 0.5 x 0.5 m is noted for each object group (furniture, walls, floors, and ceilings). If contaminants are of the same type, they are counted as a single accumulation of dirt. Contaminants on elongated surfaces such as baseboards are counted as a single accumulation of dirt. However, the length x width may not exceed 0.25 m² (e.g., 1 cm baseboard x 25 meters). Contaminants of the same type on a larger surface, such as a stain, are counted per 0.5 x 0.5 m on the object.
Qualification requirements
Proper implementation requires that the client and the supplier train staff in the standard to the appropriate competency level. The standard specifies four levels (1 through 4). A cleaner must have at least Level 2, while an inspector must have Level 3 or 4. Competency is documented through a certificate issued by a certified trainer in the standard. This suffices as the competency requirement at the individual level. If certification at the organizational level is required, an application for assessment must be submitted to an accredited certification body.
Click here to read an article in English about the standard.
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