Dutch law requires a sterilization register but does not specify the format. The paper register is still common, but its limitations are significant — especially in light of the 20-year WGBO record-retention period (BW Article 7:454, in force since 1 January 2020) for patient-record-linked sterilization data and the growing expectation of unannounced IGJ supervision. A digital register guarantees the immutability, searchability and long-term accessibility that paper archives cannot deliver over a 20-year horizon.
In the Netherlands, documenting every sterilization cycle is a legal requirement. The Wkkgz (Care quality, complaints and disputes act) Articles 2 and 3 require care providers to deliver good care with appropriate personnel and material resources. The KNMT guideline on infection prevention in dental practices and the IGJ Supervision Framework for Infection Prevention in Dental Care (2018) specify the requirements for reprocessing and traceability of medical devices: every sterilization cycle must be documented with date, time, program parameters, result, and load contents. For patient-record-linked sterilization data the 20-year WGBO retention applies (BW Article 7:454, in force since 1 January 2020) -- the longest retention period for sterilization documentation in any European market where SecuSteri operates.
A distinctive feature of the Dutch system is that regulation is nationally uniform -- supervision via IGJ (specialist medical care, dental care, podiatry) and NVWA + the 25 GGD regions (body art). For tattoo and piercing studios the Warenwetbesluit on tattooing and piercing (BWBR0021605) applies additionally, with a three-year GGD permit. The IGJ conducts unannounced practice visits; the GGD verifies permitting and hygiene requirements at body-art studios.
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 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 -- let alone over a 20-year retention horizon.
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 IGJ practice visits, inspectors increasingly expect complete and immediately accessible documentation.
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 an IGJ practice visit, the entire documentation can be presented on screen immediately.
For professionals who operate across multiple locations -- tattoo artists at conventions, podiatrists with practices in different cities, dental groups with multiple sites -- a cloud-based digital register offers a decisive advantage: data is accessible regardless of location, and the format meets national requirements because it stores the most comprehensive information possible.
This is especially relevant for tattoo artists, whose industry is characterized by high mobility between conventions and guest spots. A GGD or NVWA inspector can request the sterilization documentation of a tattoo artist from another region -- with a digital register, the response is immediate.
The trend across every sector is toward stricter documentation requirements. In January 2026 the IGJ, in cooperation with the KNMT, published additional points of attention on infection prevention in dental care. Since 26 January 2026 podiatrists fall formally under the new IGJ Supervision Framework for Paramedical Care. The supervision frameworks require documentation that is complete, searchable, and immediately available -- a paper binder structurally fails to satisfy all three criteria over a 20-year retention horizon. Application of the harmonized NEN-EN standards provides the basis for demonstrating the state of the art during an IGJ practice visit.
Shortcomings in sterilization documentation are among the most frequently cited findings during IGJ practice visits and NVWA inspections. NVWA supervision reports for 2024 show that roughly half of unannounced tattoo studio inspections found one or more shortcomings -- sterilization documentation being a recurring item. For a complete overview of the regulations, see our sterilization regulations guide.
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