Decontamination of medical equipment--manufacturer's problems.

Abstract

1. Small items sent via the post present a much greater hidden hazard and a higher potential for catching people unawares. 2. Large items accompanied by a Decontamination Certificate need to be treated with caution because only those surfaces which are accessible will have been cleaned; as soon as engineers start dismantling equipment, areas which are still soiled become exposed. 3. Total co-operation between hospital staff and service engineers is necessary to resolve these problems-neither can work safely without the assistance of the other. 4. Many products in use in hospitals may be up to 20 years old and clearly were not designed to facilitate decontamination and therefore present far greater risk to all concerned. 5. For the future there a clearly a responsibility with manufacturers to give more thought to the design of their equipment so that decontamination can be achieved more effectively.