Hygiene Standard Institute (HSI)

HSI works for the development, research, promotion, practice and protection of the highest standards in “Hygiene, Environment, Sanitation, Safety & Health” (HESSH) worldwide |

products = assessment and certification of hygiene standards and standards related services |
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About HSI

HYGIENE STANDARD INSTITUTE is a leading sovereign body with an international reputation dedicated to the development, research, promotion, practice and protection of the highest standards in “Hygiene, Environment, Sanitation, Safety & Health” (HESSH). Hygiene Standard Institute is a no profit no loss organization: its members are not, as is the case in the United Nations system, delegations of national governments.

What is Hygiene ?

Hygiene refers to practices associated with ensuring good health and cleanliness. In broader, scientific terms hygiene is the maintenance of health and healthy living. Hygiene ranges from personal hygiene, through domestic up to occupational hygiene and public health.

Sanitation is the hygienic disposal or recycling of waste, as well as the policy and practice of protecting health through hygienic measures.

What is a standard

Standards are written guidelines which help to do things, or make things, more efficiently or more safely. They are written through a formal prescribed process which involves consultation with relevant bodies and reaching consensus across all interested parties so that the final document meets the needs of business and society. All standards take the form of either: specifications, methods, vocabularies, codes of practice or guides.

Standards can be about pretty much anything. HSI produces hygiene standards on everything from nuts and bolts to sustainability, risk, business continuity management and nanotechnology.

What is International Hygiene Certificate (IHC)?

‘IHC’ is International Hygiene Certification awarded by International Hygiene Certification Division of Hygiene Standard Institute. IHCD’s International Hygiene Certification programme ensures high standards of hygiene. Organisations submit their hygiene systems and training packs for independent auditing and assessment under this service. Units which conform to the international hygiene standards of HSI and have been proved to have hygienic merit will receive the International Hygiene Certificate. The division also publishes standards-related books, CD-ROMs, subscription products and web-based solutions as well as training on standards-related issues.

International Hygiene Certification Division?

International Hygiene Certification Division (IHCD) of HSI works for the betterment of Hygiene standards world wide and develop international hygiene standards in lines with Basel convention (1989) of United Nations (UN) and World Health Organisation (WHO) directives.

Why IHC so important?

Good hospital hygiene is an integral and important component of a strategy for preventing nosocomial infections.

Improperly cleaned surfaces can become colonised with infectious bacteria and could play a role in hospital acquired infection. Surfaces near a patient with MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus) are commonly contaminated with MRSA (Boyce et al., 1997).

Hygienic preparation of food, effective cleaning of food preparation areas and equipment, and high standards of personal hygiene are important in ensuring the food safety standards in food production facilities and hotels.

Air travel has introduced its own special hygiene problems by way of food and water borne disease, waste disposal & transmission of illness by flying insects/rodents. Maintaining high hygiene standards is important to prevent iatrogenic health hazards.

Failures in hygiene can be dangerous and costly, not only in terms of public health and safety, but also organisation’s reputation, business, customer satisfaction, financial penalties and shareholder value. IHC, the international standard for hygiene specifies the requirements for hygiene systems and enable your organisation to project yourself over competitors as hygiene compliant thus earning more business in terms of customer satisfaction.

Who can apply for IHC?

Those organisations such as hospitals, food production facilities, aquaculture facilities, hotels and tourism industry, airports, airline industry, educational institutions etc. who needs to maintain high standards of hygiene for promotion of their business.

HSI Product Services

It is independently accredited and delivers assessments for a wide range of standards and other specifications including:

Hygiene Audit and certification EN ISO 15883, ISO 14000:22000, UN 3291, HACCP Assessment & Certification services: Provide independent assessment and hygiene practice system certification for clients worldwide. Hygiene management system services and solutions: One of the world’s leading certification bodies in hygiene standards. Offer assessment, IHC and training services in all critical areas of hygiene systems.