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EFHSS Questions and Answers - Answer to Question Q00304

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EFHSS - Questions & Answers - Spacial Requirements - Q00304
Recommendations regarding air humidity in a store for sterile supply 		Follow Up
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From: (Sweden)   Date: 29 July 2003, 12:37 [GMT]
Subject: Recommendations regarding air humidity in a store for sterile supply

Does enyone know if there is any recommendations regarding air humidity in a store for sterile supply?
Greateful for quick ansver.
Gunilla Prejer, Infection Control Nurse, Motala, Sweden
From: Josy Holdener (Switzerland)   Date: 29 July 2003, 14:19 [GMT]
Subject: Re: Recommendations regarding air humidity in a store for sterile supply

Dear Gunilla

For the storage of sterile medical devices in-house and/or commercially sterilized, the relative humidity should be between 35% and 50%. To prevent the drying out of packaging material (loss of the barrier properties) it should be not lower than 35%, the ideal is 50%.

Kind regards
Josy Holdener
From: (Sweden)   Date: 30 July 2003, 08:46 [GMT]
Subject: Re: Recommendations regarding air humidity in a store for sterile supply

Josy,

Have you got any references or guidelines where to read more about this?

Regards from
Gunhild Rensfeldt, Infection Control Nurse, Jönköping, Sweden
From: Josy Holdener (Switzerland)   Date: 30 July 2003, 13:32 [GMT]
Subject: Re: Recommendations regarding air humidity in a store for sterile supply

Hallo Gunhild

As far as I know there is no specific Europaen Norm out yet.
I can give you the following literature recommendation where the issue is covered:

Online: "Sterile Storage Standards" written by Natalie Lind:
www.mahcsp.com/education/ce/sterilestoragestandards.asp

Good training books:
"Recommended Practice for Central Service-Sterile Storage, Inventory Management and Distribution" see www.ahaonlinestore.com

"Sterilization Technology" by Marimargret Reichert an ASPEN publication: http://www.aspenpub.com

See also our EFHSS-Education page "Central Service Technical Manual" from IAHCSMM ask for the new 6th edition.

Kind regards
Josy
From:    Date: 31 July 2003, 05:52 [GMT]
Subject: Re: Recommendations regarding air humidity in a store for sterile supply

The Australian Standard AS 4187-1998 recomends (Sec.9 "storage and handling of sterile items") that "Temperature within the storage area should range from 22C to 24C with a relative humidity ranging from 35% to 68%. Air condition and ventilation shall be in accordance with AS 1668.2".
From: Wim Renders (Belgium)   Date: 31 July 2003, 18:07 [GMT]
Subject: Re: Recommendations regarding air humidity in a store for sterile supply

Dear,

Do you want some more references?
The Dutch "College Bouw Ziekenhuisvoorzieningen" says in it's recommendations for CSSD's:
"In all production- and storage rooms the relative humidity must be between 50 and 75 %".

The working group of the "Association Française de Stérilisation" (AFS) recommands in: "Architecture et locaux en stérilisation" a relative humidity between 40 and 75 % for all rooms.

See also question Q00254 for more information.

Kind regards,
Wim Renders
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