iHP Technology Earns Official HSE Approval
SteraMist Earns Official HSE Approval Across the UK and Northern Ireland
TOMI Environmental Solutions has secured a landmark regulatory approval from the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE), officially designating its range of SteraMist iHP equipment and Binary Ionisation Technology (BIT) Solution as a biocidal disinfectant. This approval opens a new chapter for laboratory decontamination, fumigation, cleanroom hygiene, and hospital-grade infection prevention across the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.
The search for an effective, validated, and fully compliant decontamination solution has never been more pressing in the United Kingdom, especially for facilities managers, infection control leads, and laboratory scientists. NHS trusts, private healthcare providers to pharmaceutical cleanrooms, university research labs, and biosafety facilities are in dire need of a next-generation alternative to traditional fumigation methods, and TOMI’s newly approved SteraMist platform may well be the answer.
What the HSE Approval Means for UK Laboratories and Healthcare Facilities
TOMI Environmental Solutions has secured regulatory approval from the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE), authorising its SteraMist iHP equipment and Binary Ionisation Technology (BIT) Solution for use as a biocidal disinfectant: GB Regulation 528/2012. A parallel approval has also been granted for Northern Ireland under Regulation (EU) No. 528/2012, ensuring seamless compliance across all four nations.
This is not a minor administrative milestone. Biocidal product authorisation through the HSE is the gold standard for any disinfectant or fumigation product used in regulated environments; a rigorous process requiring proof of both efficacy and safety. It means UK buyers can now procure SteraMist iHP products with full confidence in their compliance status for cleanrooms, tissue labs, animal research facilities, pharmaceutical manufacturing suites, and clinical environments.
- Approved for England, Scotland, and Wales under GB BPR 528/2012
- Approved for Northern Ireland under EU Regulation 528/2012
- Efficacy validated for surface disinfection and whole room fogging
- Low-residue biocidal product
- Contact time of 7–15 minutes for broad-spectrum antimicrobial kill
- Single active ingredient of low-concentration ionised Hydrogen Peroxide (iHP)
Why SteraMist is the Leading HSE-Approved Alternative to Vaporised Hydrogen Peroxide and Formaldehyde Fumigation
Unlike chlorine dioxide fumigation, vaporised hydrogen peroxide systems, or formaldehyde-based decontamination (which can carry significant toxicity or residue concerns), SteraMist uses a fundamentally different approach. TOMI’s patented Binary Ionisation Technology part converts a low percentage of hydrogen peroxide into a fine mist of ionised Hydrogen Peroxide (iHP).
Originally developed under a research grant through DARPA (the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), the fumigation technology neutralises microbial cell walls, proteins, and DNA across a wide spectrum of pathogens, including bacteria, spores, viruses, and fungi. Because the only byproducts are traces of water and oxygen, the technology is safe for use in sensitive environments where residue from traditional fumigation methods could contaminate samples or damage equipment.
“This milestone paves the way for expanding the availability of BIT and SteraMist products in the UK and Northern Ireland.” TOMI Environmental Solutions, press release, 23 Feb 2026
| Feature | SteraMist iHP (BIT) | Vaporised Hydrogen Peroxide | Formaldehyde Fumigation |
| Active Ingredient | Low-concentration ionised Hydrogen Peroxide | High-concentration Hydrogen Peroxide | Formaldehyde gas |
| Corrosivity | Less corrosive – can be corrosive to certain metals, lower concentration reduces this | Can be corrosive to certain metals/polymers | Highly corrosive and leaves oily residue |
| Typical Contact Time | 7–15 minutes | Often several hours (cycle dependent) | Very long (often 12–24 hours) |
| By-products | Trace water and oxygen | Water and oxygen | Toxic residue requiring neutralisation |
Applications: Where SteraMist iHP Is Now Approved for Use in the UK
The HSE-authorised BIT Solution is specifically engineered for the decontamination of dry, pre-cleaned, hard, non-porous, and non-food contact surfaces. This certification covers the vast majority of controlled environments across the UK’s scientific and medical landscapes.
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing & Cleanrooms:
- Designed for environments where cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) compliance requires validated and reproducible decontamination cycles.
- Facilities subject to MHRA inspection can integrate SteraMist into their Contamination Control Strategy (CCS)
Tissue Culture & Research Laboratories:
- Ideal for settings where sterility testing, cell line integrity, and the mitigation of cross-contamination risk are critical priorities.
- Whole-room fogging can treat hard-to-reach areas, including incubator bays, the underside of biosafety cabinets, and behind centrifuges in a single cycle.
NHS Hospitals & Private Clinical Settings:
- Provides a rapid-deployment solution for terminal room decontamination following outbreaks or for routine infection prevention schedules.
Biosafety Level (BSL) Laboratories:
- Automated fogging cycles with a single active ingredient significantly simplify the preparation of IQ/OQ qualification documentation.
Why This Matters: The UK Laboratory Decontamination Landscape
The UK’s laboratory and healthcare decontamination sector is subject to a complex regulatory framework. The approval of a product by the HSE under GB BPR removes one of the most significant procurement barriers demonstrating that the product has been authorised and meets the standard required by law.
The availability of an HSE-authorised iHP product represents a meaningful step forward for procurement teams and infection control officers evaluating room decontamination systems, hydrogen peroxide fogging equipment, or cleanroom fumigation solutions.
Those searching for UK-based laboratory fumigation services, cleanroom decontamination systems, hydrogen peroxide room disinfection, NHS-compliant disinfection technology, biocidal product approved disinfectant, or terminal room decontamination equipment will find that TOMI’s newly-approved SteraMist iHP platform addresses every requirement under the single validated and HSE-authorised framework mandated by the UK.
Similarly, facilities searching for alternatives to traditional formaldehyde fumigation, vaporised hydrogen peroxide systems, or chlorine dioxide decontamination will find viability in SteraMist HP.
What’s Next: SteraMist in the UK Market
With the HSE approval in place, TOMI is positioned to begin formal market entry and distribution activity across Great Britain and Northern Ireland. UK organisations interested in evaluating SteraMist for laboratory decontamination, pharmaceutical cleanroom hygiene, or healthcare infection control programmes can now engage with TOMI directly, now backed by the assurance of full regulatory authorisation.
For those evaluating providers of professional decontamination services within the UK, automated cleanroom disinfection systems, or biocidal spraying or fogging equipment for healthcare, TOMI’s HSE registration now places it on the approved product list for compliant procurement across UK-regulated sectors.