![Disinfectant fogging and electrical risks A person fogging with disinfectant, dressed in protective gear](/content/dam/munichre/hsb/hsb-canada/blog/july-2021/fogging-with-disinfectant-1268472910.png/_jcr_content/renditions/cropped.3_to_1.png./cropped.3_to_1.png)
Disinfectant fogging and electrical risks
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Disinfectant fogging is an established process used in industries such as pharmaceutical, healthcare, critical production, and laboratories, to efficiently eliminate germs on exposed surfaces and difficult-to-reach areas.
What is fogging?
![What is fogging? A person fogging with disinfectant, dressed in protective gear, in a dental office](/content/dam/munichre/hsb/hsb-canada/blog/july-2021/disinfecting-a-dental-office-1278205199.png/_jcr_content/renditions/cropped.16_to_9.png.image_file.1280.720.file/cropped.16_to_9.png)
What can go wrong?
![What can go wrong? A person excessively fogging with disinfectant, dressed in protective gear](/content/dam/munichre/hsb/hsb-canada/blog/july-2021/excessive-disinfection-sanitization-1281175414.png/_jcr_content/renditions/cropped.16_to_9.png.image_file.1280.720.file/cropped.16_to_9.png)
Excessive fogging, failure to follow established guidelines, and using the wrong disinfectants may lead to failures of vulnerable electrical and electronic components.
Early warning signs include:
❌ Visual evidence of corrosion
❌ Discoloration
❌ Contaminated surfaces
![What can go wrong? Smoke rising from burnt electronic computer device due to short circuit](/content/dam/munichre/hsb/hsb-canada/blog/july-2021/burnt-electronic-computer-device-1293434939.png/_jcr_content/renditions/cropped.16_to_9.png.image_file.1280.720.file/cropped.16_to_9.png)
Factors affecting the severity of damage caused by fogging
Frequency and duration of applications
Method of dispersion
Type of disinfectant
- Are Material Safety Data Sheets available for the disinfectant?
- Is the disinfectant selected based on a total risk assessment of effectiveness and potential negative consequences?
Knowledge level and experience of fogging personnel
- Is the process carried out by an experienced vendor or untrained personnel?
- Is the technician trained in proper fogging methods and aware of the hazards of the applied disinfectants?
Environmental rating of the electronic enclosures
- Are the cabinets ventilated?
- Do they have a filtering system?
- Are the cabinets equipped with fans that draw air into the cabinet?
- What is the proximity of the air intake to the fogging nozzle?
The operational status of the equipment
- Is the electrical equipment energized and operating during fogging?
- Is the equipment properly shut down before fogging?
For more information on fogging and electrical components, NEMA’s complete COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfecting Guidance for Electrical Equipment is available for download here.
The tips offered here are intended to complement and not replace the recommendation of the equipment manufacturer.