ISO 18706:2025

Healthcare organization management - Pandemic response (respiratory) - Functions and quality evaluation of specimen collection booth

This document specifies the functions and quality evaluation of the specimen collection booth as part of pandemic response management for respiratory diseases. NOTE COVID-19 is an example of a disease for which such a specimen-collection booth is developed.

Management des organisations de soins de santé — Réponse en cas de pandémie (respiratoire) — Fonctions et évaluation de la qualité des cabines de prélèvement d'échantillons

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 23-Oct-2025
• ICS: 11.020.01 - Quality and environmental management in health care
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 304 - Healthcare organization management
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 304 - Healthcare organization management
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 24-Oct-2025
• Due Date: 15-Oct-2025
• Completion Date: 24-Oct-2025

Overview

ISO 18706:2025 - Healthcare organization management - Pandemic response (respiratory) - Functions and quality evaluation of specimen collection booth - defines required functions, structural elements and quality-evaluation methods for specimen collection booths used in respiratory pandemic response. The standard covers both negative pressure booths and positive pressure booths, their core components (glove wall, fan module, filtration, control unit), and operational checks needed to reduce cross‑infection risks during walk‑through screening stations (WTSS). COVID‑19 is cited as an example use case.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Booth types and principles: Describes negative pressure booths (test subject inside; healthcare worker outside) and positive pressure booths, with guidance on maintaining appropriate internal pressure to control airflow and infection risk.
• Structure and materials: Requirements for cleanable, durable surfaces; elimination of sharp edges; door and frame design; accessible interior for cleaning and decontamination.
• Filtration and ventilation: Specifications for fan modules, variable-speed controls, supply/exhaust placement, pre‑filters and HEPA filters. Note: the standard references HEPA filter definition (minimum 99.97% efficiency for 0.3 µm particles).
• Functional performance checks: Methods and acceptance topics for HEPA filter leak testing, differential pressure monitoring, air change rate/air velocity, noise level, and lighting intensity.
• Operational procedures: Guidance on disinfection and ventilation cycles between samplings (aligned with ISO 5472 requirements), glove wall design, ergonomic considerations for work shelf and glove ports.
• Evaluation and annexes: Annex A (normative) covers performance evaluation procedures; Annex B (informative) addresses ergonomic sizing.

Applications and intended users

ISO 18706:2025 is intended for:

• Healthcare facility managers and infection control teams implementing WTSS or other rapid screening setups.
• Manufacturers and designers of specimen collection booths and modular screening units.
• Public health authorities and procurement professionals specifying safe booth performance for pandemic response.
• Standards developers and testing laboratories performing performance verification (HEPA leak tests, pressure and airflow measurements).

Practical applications include walk‑through screening stations, temporary screening facilities at healthcare sites, and mobile/outdoor booth deployments where controlled airflow and rapid decontamination are critical.

Related standards

• ISO 5472 - Healthcare organization management - Pandemic response (respiratory) - Walk‑through screening station
• ISO 29463‑1 - High efficiency filters and filter media for removing particles in air - Classification, testing and marking

Keywords: ISO 18706:2025, specimen collection booth, negative pressure booth, positive pressure booth, HEPA filter, pandemic response, walk‑through screening, WTSS, healthcare organization management, COVID‑19.

Standards Content (Sample)

International
Standard
ISO 18706
First edition
Healthcare organization
2025-10
management — Pandemic response
(respiratory) — Functions and
quality evaluation of specimen
collection booth
Management des organisations de soins de santé — Réponse en
cas de pandémie (respiratoire) — Fonctions et évaluation de la
qualité des cabines de prélèvement d'échantillons
Reference number
© ISO 2025
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Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Negative pressure booth . 3
4.1 Principle .3
4.2 Structure .3
4.2.1 General .3
4.2.2 Main body .3
4.2.3 Filtration .4
4.2.4 Glove and work shelf .4
4.2.5 Control unit .5
4.2.6 Option for outdoor usage .5
4.3 Function .5
4.3.1 General .5
4.3.2 HEPA filter leak .5
4.3.3 Noise level .5
4.3.4 Light intensity .6
4.3.5 Differential pressure .6
4.3.6 Air velocity . . .6
5 Positive pressure booth . 6
5.1 Principle .6
5.2 Structure .7
5.2.1 General .7
5.2.2 Main body .7
5.2.3 Filtration .7
5.2.4 Glove and work shelf .8
5.2.5 Control unit .8
5.2.6 Option for outdoor usage .8
5.3 Function .9
5.3.1 General .9
5.3.2 HEPA filter leak .9
5.3.3 Noise level .9
5.3.4 Lighting intensity .9
5.3.5 Differential pressure .9
5.3.6 Air velocity . . .9
Annex A (normative) Performance evaluation.10
Annex B (informative) Size information considering ergonomic factors .16
Bibliography .18

iii
Foreword
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This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 304, Healthcare organization management.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

iv
Introduction
With the active global movement of people, infectious diseases that occur locally can spread worldwide and
become pandemics.
Over the past 20 years, infectious diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS, in 2002),
H1N1 Influenza (H1N1, in 2009), and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS, in 2012) appeared with
increased intensity and shorter cycle. Experts are concerned that occurrence of such disease would increase
and the cycle will become shorter.
When an infectious disease spreads on a large scale and becomes a pandemic, conducting screening and
treatment inside a hospital exposes hospital workers, patients, and caregivers to the risk of infection. To
reduce the risk of such cross-infection, sample collection methods such as drive-through screening station
(DTSS) and walk-through screening station (WTSS) are developed.
The specimen collection booth is a facility that physically separates medical staff from walking visitors in
WTSS to reduce the risk of cross-infection and enable rapid testing.
This document considers structural elements, functions and evaluation methods of a specimen collection
booth for its safe use to quickly collect samples from individuals with suspected respiratory diseases.

v
International Standard ISO 18706:2025(en)
Healthcare organization management — Pandemic response
(respiratory) — Functions and quality evaluation of specimen
collection booth
1 Scope
This document specifies the functions and quality evaluation of the specimen collection booth as part of
pandemic response management for respiratory diseases.
NOTE COVID-19 is an example of a disease for which such a specimen-collection booth is developed.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 5472, Healthcare organization management — Pandemic response (respiratory) — Walk-through
screening station
ISO 29463-1, High efficiency filters and filter media for removing particles in air — Part 1: Classification,
performance, testing and marking
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
air change rate
air flow rate to a space, expressed as volume per unit time, divided by the volume of the space in consistent units
Note 1 to entry: Air change rate is often expressed as air changes per hour.
[SOURCE: ISO 16814:2008, 3.5]
3.2
differential pressure
difference in absolute (static) pressure between two points in an air flow system
Note 1 to entry: Resistance to air flow is expressed in Pa (inches of water).
[SOURCE: ISO 29464:2024, 3.1.43, modified — The preferred terms "resistance to air flow", "pressure
differential" and "pressure drop" have been removed.]

3.3
downstream
direction to where the air flow discharges
[SOURCE: ISO 5801:2017, 3.4]
3.4
HEPA filter
high efficiency particulate air filter
retentive matrix having a minimum particle-collection efficiency of 99,97 % (that is, a maximum particle
penetration of 0,03 % for 0,3 µm particles)
[SOURCE: ISO/PAS 18999:2024, 3.8, modified — note 1 to entry has been removed]
3.5
negative pressure booth
specimen collection booth (3.10) with internal pressure less than that of the ambient atmosphere to allow the
outside air into the booth
3.6
pandemic
worldwide spread of a disease
[SOURCE: ISO/PAS 45005:2020, 3.5]
3.7
personal protective equipment
PPE
device or appliance designed to be worn or held by an individual for protection against one or more health
and safety hazards
[SOURCE: ISO 15384:2018, 3.12]
3.8
positive pressure booth
specimen collection booth (3.10) with internal pressure greater than that of the ambient atmosphere
3.9
pre-filter
air filter fitted upstream (3.11) of another filter to reduce the challenge on that filter
[SOURCE: ISO 14644-16:2019, 3.1.6]
3.10
specimen collection booth
facility for specimen collection which protects healthcare workers and test subject
3.11
upstream
direction from where the air flow comes
[SOURCE: ISO 5801:2017, 3.3]
3.12
walk-through screening station
WTSS
screening station with disinfected, single or multiple, mobile or fixed booths with negative, positive or an
adaptable pressure which enables minimized consumption of personal protective equipment (3.7)
[SOURCE: ISO 5472:2022, 3.14]
4 Negative pressure booth
4.1 Principle
A test subject (the person being sampled) goes inside a negative pressure booth while the healthcare worker
stays outside. The internal negative pressure is maintained to prevent cross-infection between the test
subject and the healthcare worker as well as between the test subjects.
The inside of the booth shall be disinfected and ventilated after each sampling. The disinfection and
ventilation time shall be in accordance with ISO 5472:2022, 6.2.5 and 6.2.6.
Figure 1 — Front and side view of negative pressure booth
4.2 Structure
4.2.1 General
The negative pressure booth shall be designed and constructed to keep potentially harmful particles
within the booth by preventing the internal air from leaving the booth, operate in a safe manner, minimize
contamination and be capable of being cleaned and decontaminated.
Materials of the negative pressure booth shall withstand normal abrasion, corrosive action of gases or
liquids, cleaning compounds, and disinfectant solution. Exposed burrs and sharp edges shall be eliminated
from surfaces of the negative pressure booth.
4.2.2 Main body
4.2.2.1 Wall
The interior surface of the booth should be accessible and cleanable during assembly, use, and disassembly.

4.2.2.2 Glove wall
The glove wall has the glove port towards the inside of the negative pressure booth. The glove wall window
1)
(if present) should be designed for durability and reliability . The window should be optically clear; it should
not be adversely affected by accepted healthcare cleaning methods and disinfectant solutions.
4.2.2.3 Frame
The frame of the negative pressure booth is the skeleton supporting the booth structure.
4.2.2.4 Door
The door shall be closed completely. Horizontal sliding doors shall not be used for the booth. Handles shall
be designed and installed to eliminate sharp edges or unnecessary projections.
4.2.3 Filtration
4.2.3.1 Fan module
The fan module is the ventilation part for sending purified air through a filter from the negative pressure
booth to the outside and preventing cross-infection. The fan module shall have variable speeds and shall
have controls that can be secured. To maintain the airstream effectively, there may be a supply air inlet. If
there is a supply air inlet, its location and the exhaust air outlet should be nearly opposite each other.
4.2.3.2 Pre-filter
The pre-filter is a component that filters relatively large dust with a particle size of 50 μm or more, primarily
preventing intrusion of various harmful substances.
4.2.3.3 HEPA filter
HEPA filters for the booth shall conform to the materials, construction and aerosol efficiency requirements
as specified in ISO 29463-1. The receipt of HEPA filters shall be accompanied by a supplier’s certificate to
confirm that the filter has an efficiency of not less than 99,97 % for the retention of 0,3 µm or larger particles.
The HEPA filter shall be leak-tight when it is installed on the booth.
4.2.3.4 Sampling ports
For performing the HEPA filter test, two test holes should be considered as part of the booth design:
a) a sampling hole towards the upstream of the filter for injecting aerosols of dioctyl phthalate (DOP)
particles or equivalent fluid;
b) a sampling hole towards the downstream of the filter for scanning leak penetration in per cent.
If the negative pressure booth is connected to ductwork, the test hole towards downstream of the filter shall
be near a downstream duct.
4.2.4 Glove and work shelf
4.2.4.1 Internal work shelf
The internal work shelf is a space for specimen storage, disinfection solutions and waste box. It can be
mounted on the wall, adjustable legs, or other acceptable means.
1) ISO 13823:2008 contains terms and definitions that address general principles of durability and reliability.

4.2.4.2 Glove port
The glove port is in the form of sealing with chemical-resistant glove. The connection between the wall and
the glove including its joints shall not permit leakage of air.
4.2.5 Control unit
4.2.5.1 Differential pressure gauge
A pressure gauge that can check the differential pressure shall be installed in accordance with the
manufacturer's instructions.
4.2.5.2 Lighting
Lamps shall be positioned to prevent reflection of light through the wall.
4.2.5.3 Control panel
A computer display offering a number of controls shall be installed in a location accessible to healthcare
workers.
NOTE Examples of control item are fan speed, lighting, and broadcast.
4.2.6 Option for outdoor usage
The optional items below can be used if the negative pressure booth is operated outdoors:
— power supply, with a device that supplies power to the fan controller, heating and cooling device;
— air-conditioning system, with heating and cooling system for temperature control inside the booth;
— earth leakage breaker, for electric shock, short circuit fire, equipment and electrical device protection
and prevents electric shock accident to human body, fire caused by short circuit, and damage to electrical
equipment by arc;
— caster, with wheels which can be moved and levelled.
4.3 Function
4.3.1 General
All functions shall be tested in accordance with Annex A. All removable parts shall be tested while installed.
4.3.2 HEPA filter leak
The HEPA filter, filter housings, and mounting frames shall be tested with dioctyl phthalate (DOP) or
equivalent and determined to be leak-tight when the negative pressure booth is operating at steady
velocities.
4.3.3 Noise level
The noise level shall be determined with the booth operating at steady velocities and maintained to minimize
fatigue of the healthcare worker and the test subject. The overall noise level should not exceed 67 dB(A).
NOTE 1 E
...