ÖZÄK-Hygieneverordnung 2025 § 20 Abs. 5 explicitly accepts electronic storage of pressure and temperature as equivalent to paper printout. Paper batch records are still common, but their limitations are significant — especially given the 7-year retention requirement (§ 6 Abs. 3) and the need for seamless traceability during Ordinationsüberprüfungen by the Bezirksverwaltungsbehörde.
In Austria, documenting every sterilization cycle is a legal requirement. For dental practices (Ordinationen), the ÖZÄK-Hygieneverordnung 2025 (in force since 1 May 2025) requires sterilization documentation per the mandatory minimum format of Anlage 1 -- and § 20 Abs. 5 explicitly accepts electronic storage of pressure and temperature as equivalent to paper printout. That codified equivalence is the foundation for a digital register: not a tolerated workaround, but a form of documentation explicitly recognized by the regulator.
Austria operates under a federally uniform framework: ÖZÄK-Hygieneverordnung 2025 for dentists, ARPTV/ARFKMV for tattoo/piercing/PMU studios (federal-uniform across all 9 Bundesländer), Ordinationsrichtlinie 2022 (OrdiRL) for veterinary practices, ÄK-Hygieneverordnung 2014 for physician practices including dermatology and acupuncture. The Bezirksverwaltungsbehörde (Bezirkshauptmannschaft / Magistrat) is the responsible inspection authority under § 36 Abs. 2 ZÄG and § 16 Abs. 4 TÄG.
Paper documentation -- a binder where cycle data is entered by hand -- remains legally acceptable, but has significant weaknesses. Handwritten entries are error-prone and often illegible. Thermal printouts from the autoclave fade within months, losing their evidentiary value -- a serious problem given the 7-year retention requirement for dental practices (§ 6 Abs. 3 ÖZÄK-HygV 2025) and the 10-year retention requirement for tattoo/piercing/PMU studios (§ 5 ARPTV). A binder can be lost, damaged by water, or simply become unreadable. Targeted search is impossible: finding a specific cycle from last year in a binder with hundreds of pages is impractical.
Furthermore, paper does not allow linking a sterilization cycle to the specific instruments in the load -- traceability is limited to date and cycle number, with no connection to the patient or client. During Ordinationsüberprüfungen by the Bezirksverwaltungsbehörde, inspectors expect complete and immediately accessible documentation per Anlage 1.
A digital sterilization register automatically stores the parameters of every cycle (temperature, pressure, duration, result), generates a unique batch number, links the instruments in each load to the corresponding cycle, and preserves data with automatic backups. Search is instant: finding a specific cycle takes seconds, not hours.
SecuSteri imports autoclave reports directly (PDF or HTM depending on the manufacturer), extracts parameters automatically, and generates labels with QR codes linking each pouch to its sterilization cycle. The complete register is accessible from any device -- during a Bezirksverwaltungsbehörde inspection, the entire documentation can be presented on screen immediately, even if the local PC has failed or the practice owner is on vacation.
Unlike Germany, Austria is regulated federal-uniform: ARPTV/ARFKMV apply identically across all 9 Bundesländer; the ÖZÄK-Hygieneverordnung 2025 likewise. For professionals operating across multiple Bundesländer -- tattoo artists at conventions, practices with locations in Vienna and Lower Austria -- a cloud-based digital register offers a decisive advantage: data is accessible regardless of location, and the format meets the unified federal requirements.
This is especially relevant for tattoo artists, whose industry is characterized by high mobility between conventions and guest spots. A Bezirksverwaltungsbehörde in Burgenland can request the sterilization documentation of a tattoo artist from Tyrol -- with a digital register, the response is immediate, including the records required for the annual Unbedenklichkeitsnachweis (UbN) under § 4 ARFKMV.
With the ÖZÄK-Hygieneverordnung 2025 in force since 1 May 2025, documentation obligations in Austria have expanded substantially: the mandatory minimum format of Anlage 1 for Hygieneplan and cleaning/disinfection plan, the 7-year retention requirement (§ 6 Abs. 3), and the 1 May 2028 deadline for Class B sterilizer + washer-disinfector in existing practices (§ 24 Abs. 3). The ÖZÄK-Hygieneverordnung 2025 makes the Anlage 1 minimum format binding and § 20 Abs. 5 accepts electronic storage as equivalent to paper printout -- complete digital documentation is therefore the standard, not an option.
Documentation violations are pursued under disciplinary law for dental practices: § 58 Abs. 1 ZÄKG provides for monetary penalties up to €40,000 + temporary prohibition of professional practice + removal from the dental register; disciplinary jurisdiction lies with the Disziplinarrat der Österreichischen Zahnärztekammer (§ 62 ZÄKG). For tattoo, piercing, and permanent makeup studios, GewO 1994 § 366 administrative fines up to €3,600 apply, with revocation of the Gewerbeberechtigung if the UbN is not presented. Missing or incomplete batch documentation is among the most frequently cited findings during Ordinationsüberprüfungen. For a complete overview of the regulations, see our sterilization regulations guide.
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