IPAC requirements for the Sterilization and Reprocessing Area:
There is to be no storage or consumption of food or beverages in the designated sterilization and reprocessing area. Eating and drinking during instrument processing is prohibited.
All instruments should be processed in a central area of the dental office that is designed to facilitate quality control and ensure safety. The instrument processing area should have a clear separation of clean and dirty areas with separate sections for:
- receiving, cleaning, and decontamination;
- rinsing and drying
- preparation and packaging
- sterilization
- storage
There is a one-way workflow from dirty to clean to prevent cross-contamination. The reprocessing work area is physically separated from clean areas by walls or if not possible, partitions or other barriers may be used.
Walls or partitions should be cleaned regularly and be constructed of materials that can withstand cleaning and disinfection. If physical separation of these sections is not possible, adequate spatial separation is necessary, whereby separate areas are clearly identified for dirty and clean instruments/tools and devices.
Space must be adequate for the volume of work anticipated and the items to be stored.
There must be a sink sufficient in size and depth for cleaning dental/medical equipment/devices/instruments in the reprocessing area. Surfaces in the reprocessing area must be easy to clean and non-porous.
There is a lot of interest now in upgrading dental clinic sterilization centres and that’s not surprising given COVID and IPAC. The cost of a custom built sterilization centre depends on the size and the choice of materials and hardware.
Designing a Conexis Dental Sterilization Center with SOLIDWORKS AND RHINO 3D computer-aided design software.
To upgrade your sterilization center with Conexis click here:
https://www.conexisdirect.com/product/conexis-ipac-compliant-sterilization-center/
