The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has taken steps to support hand sanitiser manufacturers as UK production increases to tackle the coronavirus.

Spurred by unprecedented demand for biocidal hand sanitiser products during the coronavirus outbreak, the HSE is providing derogations from existing rules that will assist the UK manufacture and supply of biocidal hand sanitiser products using propanol as their active ingredient.

Article 55(1) of the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) enables the HSE, in cases of danger to public health, animal health or the environment which cannot be contained by other means, to provide short-term derogations from the requirements for product authorisation.

Commenting on the development, Dr Richard Daniels, the HSE’s Chemicals Regulation Director, said, “Amid this national effort, we are working closely with other government agencies, manufacturers and their trade associations to help remove obstacles to the manufacture and supply of safe and effective biocidal hand sanitiser products and reduce supply chain issues.

“While this action will enable manufacturers to place hand sanitiser products on the UK market quickly, we still expect them to meet their responsibilities to adhere to the correct standards which protect the people and the environment from potentially harmful chemical effects.”