The “Indoor Environmental Hygiene Quality (IEHQ)” Scheme in Hong Kong is a professional certification service launched by The Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong (CMA) through its subsidiary CMA Testing. The scheme aims to establish a set of scientific assessment standards. Through professional third-party testing and certification, it comprehensively evaluates, verifies, and demonstrates the environmental hygiene standards of various indoor venues, addressing the public’s growing demand for public health.
Background and Objectives
- Encourage the assessment of indoor environmental hygiene quality after disinfection and cleaning, thereby enhancing understanding of the effectiveness of current cleaning and disinfection methods.
- Display the environmental hygiene level of indoor venues by posting certification marks, giving users greater confidence in utilizing these spaces.
- Disseminate effective epidemic prevention and hygiene quality information, strengthening the emphasis venues place on indoor environmental hygiene quality.
- Provide targeted recommendations for improving a venue’s indoor environmental hygiene quality based on the assessment, educating venue managers on the importance of hygiene for both the indoor environment and personal cleanliness.
Operational Process of the Scheme
The IEHQ certification follows a rigorous and transparent operational process to ensure the fairness and validity of the assessment results:
1. Venue Cleaning: The applying venue must first conduct a thorough cleaning and disinfection, either independently or by commissioning a professional organization.
2. On-site Professional Testing: CMA Testing will dispatch a professional team to the venue for immediate sampling and measurement. The comprehensive testing items include:
- Surface bacterial tests
- Airborne bacterial tests
- Common air pollutant tests
- Novel coronavirus environmental screening tests (included in specific programs)
3. Data Analysis and Certification: The cleaning efficacy is scientifically evaluated based on the data results. Venues that meet the standards will be awarded the IEHQ mark.
4. Information Transparency: Each IEHQ mark features a QR code. The public can scan it to access the venue’s real-time test results, ensuring information transparency.
Obtaining certification signifies that the venue’s cleaning and disinfection work has been scientifically verified by a third-party laboratory, effectively reducing the risk of exposure to bacteria and viruses. This is not only proof of hygiene quality but also a solemn commitment from the venue management to the health of its users.
Since its launch, the IEHQ certification service has been adopted by clients from various sectors, including exhibition centers, spas, beauty salons, shopping malls, and government departments, demonstrating its broad applicability and market recognition. The initiating organization also hopes this standard will be promoted to more industries in the future, potentially becoming a benchmark for environmental hygiene certification in Hong Kong and other regions.
