COVID-19 Surface Testing and Hygiene Solutions

Hygiene and Safety Testing Solutions for minimising COVID-19 infection risks

Intertek’s Aberdeen laboratory offers a range of services to customers across Scotland, including a COVID-19 surface testing service to ensure you are safeguarding the health, hygiene and safety of your employees, customers and operations against COVID-19 transmission.

Intertek health and hygiene services can be used to independently verify performance against your own health and safety protocols, and to provide testing to minimise ongoing risks to your operations.

Intertek Aberdeen have launched the new COVID-19 testing service as part of Intertek Protek. Intertek Protek is the world’s first health, safety and wellbeing assurance programme for people, workplaces and public spaces. In a dynamic environment, the Protek programme provides support across all sectors, from manufacturing to retail sites to public places.

The COVID-19 outbreak has highlighted the importance of good sanitation and testing to verify cleanliness and prevent the spread of disease. Testing is necessary to provide assurance of the efficacy of hygiene measures.

In situations where people are in contact with environments (offices, workplaces, hotels, schools, transport, hospitals, common facilities etc.) it is of the utmost importance to ensure that these locations are clean and free from potentially harmful microorganisms. 

Our bespoke solutions can be tailored to your needs – and our independent expertise can provide you with confidence and assurance that you are minimising risks in your operations from COVID-19.

COVID-19 Surface Hygiene Testing

Our COVID-19 surface hygiene test (via reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction or RT-qPCR) can identify if SARS-CoV-2, the strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19, is present on a variety of surfaces, including door handles, PIN pads, desks, computers, phones and most types of hard surfaces.

Surface hygiene testing can be performed by Intertek experts at customer sites by taking swabs of specific surface areas, testing these on site within six hours, allowing for timely remediation action if required. Alternatively, samples can be taken to the Intertek laboratory allowing for a greater sample number turnaround. Where testing assistance is not required or viable, we are able to provide a swabbing kit and detailed guidance to allow clients to collect samples themselves.

Our COVID-19 surface testing service is available to every type of venue including hotels and restaurants, workplaces and offshore platforms. The Intertek Aberdeen Centre of Excellence is strategically placed to serve the local Scottish and North Sea markets with quick turn around times. Environmental hygiene monitoring of key areas provides a proactive approach to reducing the risk of spreading the virus and provides peace of mind to employees and customers.

ATP Testing

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) is the primary energy carrier for all forms of life. It is present within all living cells (not viruses) and as such, the measurement of ATP concentration in a sample provides a direct measurement of biological concentration. By measuring ATP from samples, a quick general assessment can be done to ensure cleaning efforts have been effective. 

Water Quality Testing

During lockdown unoccupied buildings/offices results in stagnant or standing water in a plumbing system and can increase the risk for growth and spread of Legionella. Testing the quality of drinking water (both chemically and microbiologically) can help ensure wholesome water at the user outlets and testing for Legionella can help verify that no colonisation has occurred during lockdown and that the workplace is safe to reopen. If there are water storage tanks in the property, these can be inspected, cleaned and disinfected as part of re-commissioning the building's water system.

Air Quality Monitoring

Carrying out sampling of premises air quality for airborne levels of bacteria, yeast and mould and swabbing of ductwork surface can demonstrate cleanliness of buildings HVAC or show if cleaning/filter replacement is required.

Intertek‘s Aberdeen Centre of Excellence laboratory is well placed to serve the Scottish market in the fight against COVID-19. Our team of experts can provide a bespoke programme of health, hygiene and safety monitoring based on your needs, to provide assurance that your hygiene protocols are effective. Our fast turnaround times allow our clients to take quick remedial action where necessary.