Decontamination of Equipment Contaminated with Biohazardous Material
Environmental Health & Safety has been recently asked to reissue guidelines with clearly delineated responsibilities for the decontamination of equipment with regard to biological hazards. Decontamination guidelines have always been in place, but two incidents occurring recently in the Medical Center have underscored the necessity of re-issuing these guidelines.
In general, equipment requiring maintenance or disposal must be decontaminated before it is either maintained by Facilities personnel or removed from the work site. This decontamination is performed by the user/owner of the equipment. Personal protective equipment must be worn during the decontamination process. A freshly made solution of 1:10 diluted bleach is an appropriate decontaminant for most situations. The user/owner of the equipment must communicate to Facilities personnel that the decontamination has been completed.
Equipment that has been contaminated internally and which cannot be decontaminated without dismantling, must be tagged with a biohazard label indicating those parts that may be contaminated. Tagging equipment serves to notify the mechanics that the equipment is contaminated with hazardous materials.
Please contact the Environmental Health & Safety Industrial Hygiene Unit at x5-3241 with your questions.
QUESTIONS? Contact EH&S at (585) 275-3241 or e-mail EH&S Questions.
This page last updated 5/31/05. Disclaimer
