NIOSH advice: Preventing exposure to sterilants

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health offers the following advice for reducing the risk of exposure to sterilants:

What hospital managers can do:

Require use of appropriate PPE to prevent eye, face, hand, arm, and body contact with concentrated peracetic acid as well as other cleaning chemicals and contaminated equipment.
Provide hazard communication training for A2 GI Lab Steris Room employees.
Train employees in standard operating procedures for spills, leaks, and processor malfunctions.
Ask Steris Corp. to provide new employee and annual refresher inservice training.
Make sure that processors are inspected periodically for worn parts that can cause leaks.
Notify Steris Corp. of leaks and equipment problems.
Increase ventilation in the A2 GI Lab Steris Room for odor control and the comfort of the workers.

What employees can do:

Wear tight-fitting, splash-resistant goggles and acid-resistant gloves, sleeves, and apron when handling sealed Steris cups during normal operations.
Wear a face shield over eye protection along with routine PPE when handling or disposing of a cup that is not completely empty.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for handling Steris cups and operating processors.
Tell management about problems with processors or Steris cups, or if you notice worn processor seals or other parts.
Follow standard operating procedures for processor problems, leaks, and sterilant spills.
Participate in training when provided.

Source: Sylvain D, Gibbins J. Evaluation of worker exposures to peracetic acid-based sterilant during endoscope reprocessing. Health Hazard Evaluation Report HETA 2006-0298-3090. www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2006-0298-3090.pdf.