Lean

Lean Government Office of Pesticide Programs Antimicrobial Testing Program (ATP) Lean Event Case Study

EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) conducted a Lean value stream mapping (VSM) event in July 2010 to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its Antimicrobial Testing Program (ATP). EPA’s ATP has been responsible for testing hospital sterilants, disinfectants, and tuberculosides since 1991 in order to ensure that these products and others in the marketplace meet stringent standards of efficacy. These products chemically disinfect hard, non-porous surfaces such as floors and tables, a process which is considered an important component of the infection control system in hospitals, food processing operations, and other places where disease-causing microorganisms may be present. In the ATP, EPA and state contract laboratories collect samples from sources, including manufacturers, and test them for efficacy. Products that fail to meet the EPA’s strict standards are brought into compliance through regulatory or enforcement measures.

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