PubMed · 244830
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B J Severing. 1977. [Central sterilization].. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/244830/
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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has regulated ethylene oxide (EtO) on the basis of its acute toxicity and its potential carcinogenic and reproductive effects since 1971. OSHA's 1984 EtO standard and its 1988 revisions focused new attention on health and safety training and other preventive measures. An EtO health and safety training program for hospital sterilization workers was developed by the staff of an independent occupational and environmental health clinic. Participatory and empowerment training methods were central to the approach. Also included were hands-on, demonstration, interactive presentation, and other methods. An EtO Health and Safety Training Manual was developed based on the training experiences. This paper presents the challenges, benefits, and limitations of incorporating participatory and empowerment approaches in the design, implementation, and evaluation of EtO health and safety training.
Sterility testing on autoclaved surgical trays provides scientific information on the duration for which an item can be safely stored. Previous studies were performed by sampling at various time-points after storage and did not take into account potential injuries (moving, lifting etc.) to these trays as they occur in a clinical setting. A standardized protocol was developed by an expert panel based on events which were frequently observed in the Central Sterilization area. We tested 600 samples in 100 surgical trays that were moved and transported according to the standardized protocol. Moved surgical trays were contaminated in 8.3% of tests, a figure much higher than that reported by previous studies. These data suggest that current standards for sterility testing of autoclaved surgical trays can be improved by the addition of event-related testing.
We have achieved more consistency in instrument processing by using the annotated tray lists. This improved consistency has resulted in fewer errors and damaged instruments. Important tasks, such as lubricating the instruments, are not being overlooked inadvertently or performed incorrectly by staff. Productivity has increased because information is available when questions arise. Technicians do not have to look through large procedure manuals or ask other technicians to identify instruments and perform specific procedures. While the tray lists do not replace formal procedure manuals, they are helpful adjuncts for personnel who prepare the surgical trays.