The Principles of Medical Device Decontamination

Department managers are responsible for reviewing equipment being used or being decontaminated, and to ensure staff are aware of their responsibilities, and risks involved with any decontamination processes. Managers are responsible for arranging training of staff for their role. This can range from basic general cleaning of low risk items, to how to use cleaning and disinfection wipes, how to perform high level disinfection and sterilisation for higher risk devices. The users of decontaminated medical devices must be trained in storage and handling requirements, ensuring an appropriate controlled environment, correct practices for checking sterilisation indicator colour change, use by dates, packaging integrity, methods of aseptic opening of sterile packs/trays, as well as the safe management of the used devices for return for decontamination or disposal. Employees themselves have a duty to ensure their mandatory training is kept up to date and have the necessary knowledge skills and experience to use medical devices within their relevant clinical area. Training needs should be reviewed yearly, as a minimum as part of annual appraisal process to ensure consistency and competence. Individual training records, detailing the individual’s core competencies and any other training should be maintained locally and updated yearly. A register of all staff involved in the decontamination of medical devices should be kept by department managers and reflect individuals training requirements, detailing core competencies, with a record of completion dates. The register must be reviewed and regularly updated to enable accurate reporting of compliance figures to the Executive board and internal or external auditors. Where training is provided by the supplier or manufacturer of products/equipment, it may be possible to identify members of staff, possibly supervisory personnel, to be ‘superusers’ and have a ‘train the trainer’ system. Those identified will not only receive training on the decontamination and use of the devices but also techniques on how to train others effectively. Trainers must be able to provide up to date records of formal specialist training. All key trainers from within the organisation should have records of the training they have received and be assessed prior to training other members of staff to ensure competencies are met.

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