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Lodi Memorial Hospital 8420.151 Facilities Management L-8440.005 Safety Management; Environmental Services Revised: August 1998 Medical Waste Management Guidelines Page 6 of 6 unloading the processed load. This is required for each time the unit is emptied. Unlock the padlock and move the chain out of the locked position. Do not remove lock and chain away from the unit. 4. Stand away from the unit to allow the safe release of any steam that may be inside and lift the locking latch at the top. Turn the arrow knob on the unit handle to the up position. Move the handle up and down until the door release. 5. Open door carefully watching for the possibility of additional steam to escape. Fasten the door open to the hook attached to the wall, to prevent the door from closing on you. Be sure to wear waterproof -heat resistant gloves and face shield while opening the unit or handling the bags at completion of the cycle as there could be sufficient heat to cause burns. Gloves and face shields are kept near the unit for handy access. To open drawer, place the rails down, check for proper alignment. When aligned, pull the drawer out. 6. When removing the bags from the unit, hold them away from you body to prevent any hot liquids from burning you while moving the bags to the compactor. To close, push the drawer back into the unit, lift rails, and unlock door from the wall. 7. Closing the unit door. Turn the arrow knob on the autoclave handle to the down position. Move the handle up and down until the door is closed well. Do not force closed with strength. When initially closing the door, place your hand on the door handle and push lightly. When closed, close the locking lever at the top. 8. Return the chain and padlock to the locked position on the door. The key must be returned to the basement janitors' room. Leave the gloves and face shield at the sterilizer site and clean the area by using the water hose located at the end of the sterilizer. Wash down any liquids that may spill while unloading bags. The dock and sterilizer tray/drawer must be hosed down to keep the area clean after each use. RESPONSIBILITIES 1. Environmental Services staff are responsible to report any problems or unusual conditions found regarding the sterilizing unit to Maintenance. 2. Maintenance shall be responsible for making repairs. 3. The designated Environmental Service staff member will process biologic testing on a monthly basis. Test results remain on file in the Facilities Management office after documentation is complete. 4. Equipment calibration will occur annually with records on file in Facilities Management. 5. Use of a licensed medical waste transporter will provide back-up collection and disposal service should a malfunction in the sterilizing equipment occurs. Such waste includes sharps waste, suction containers, Chemotherapy waste and Lab waste, and may not be limited only to those listed here. 6. Suitable signage will be readily displayed n the exterior of the unit for content identification and all other warning messages as appropriate.