New Edition of the VDI Standard on Hygiene Training for HVAC Systems

The VDI (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure, Association of German Engineers) has re-issued Part 2 of VDI Standard 6022 on the requirements for hygiene training of persons entrusted with HVAC systems. The latest valid version of this document dates from 1999. The new version also replaces the statements of VDI Standard 6022 Part 4:2012-08.

VDI 6022 Part 2 describes the necessary instructions and training required for the application of Parts 1 and 6 of the VDI 6022 series of standards, such as the installation, maintenance and cleaning of HVAC systems.

The version of VDI Standard 6022 Part 2 dated July 2020 has grown from 8 to 22 pages. The main changes are:

• For employees in the technical department who carry out hygiene training for the HVAC systems, a university degree was previously required. In the meantime, other minimum qualifications, such as training as a master technician or state-certified technician in the field of technical building services or supply engineering with additional certification, such as evidence of having passed a Category A test in accordance with VDI 6022, are now sufficient.
• The item hygiene training (prerequisites and contents) are now described in much more details.
• There is a new training category available for maintenance and control activities for humidifiers.
• The requirements for refresher training are now clearly described, as well as the time period when such training is required to obtain the qualification.

The application of or the compliance with the VDI 6022 series for pharmaceutical manufacturing areas is not an explicit GMP requirement. However, compliance with the described hygiene requirements can be understood as state of the art in the context of maintenance and servicing within the scope of the operator's responsibility and can also be checked during inspections, whereby alternative procedures are of course also possible.

The VDI standard 6022 Part 2 is available at Beuth-Verlag.