Beyond HTM 01-01 Part D

When it comes to managing a compliant healthcare facility, HTM 01-01 Part D is the ultimate guide for bedpan washer-disinfectors. It details the specifications, standards and guidance for washer disinfectors, which are used to clean and disinfect reusable utensils such as bedpans, commode pots, and urine bottles.

However, ticking a compliance box on a piece of paper during an annual audit is very different from ensuring your sluice room equipment actively protects your patients and staff every single day.

True infection prevention and control requires looking past the basic guidelines and understanding the science of thermal decontamination. Here’s why you should be going beyond HTM 01-01 Part D.

Water Quality & Limescale

It’s easy to view limescale as nothing more than a cosmetic nuisance or a minor plumbing issue. In reality, limescale can be a big infection control risk inside a bedpan washer-disinfector.

When hard water is repeatedly heated, dissolved calcium and magnesium precipitate out, forming a thick layer of scale on the internal chambers, pipework, and heating elements. This scale creates a rough, porous surface that acts as a perfect microscopic “anchor” for bacteria to hide.

Heavy limescale can also act as an insulator, preventing the heating elements from heating the water efficiently. If the machine cannot reach its target temperature within the designated cycle window, it can fail to disinfect an decontamanite the utensils. 

Stanbridge have developed Deoscale, a specially formulated solution for bedpan washer-disinfectors, Deoscale prevents scale buildup from taking hold, ensuring internal surfaces remain smooth, clean, and incapable of harbouring dangerous bacteria.

Find out more about how limescale can affect your infection control. 

Why 80°C Isn’t Enough

Our bedpan washer disinfectors are designed to automatically clean reusable bedpans and decontaminate them by thermal disinfection, to stop the spread of infections. 

In this process, the machines must maintain heat at a specific temperature for a particular length of time. The combination of time and temperature should satisfy the A0 requirement of BS EN ISO 158831 for disinfection to be achieved. 

The A0 value is a mathematical measurement of thermal disinfection that standardises the lethality of a cycle by combining time and temperature. To ensure instruments are safely decontaminated and compliant. 

A0> 60: The minimum acceptable standard for medical devices contacting only intact skin (e.g., bedpans).

A0> 600: The minimum requirement for surgical instruments, representing 10 minutes at 80C (or 1 minute at 90C).

Temperature spikes followed by immediate drops simply will not cut it.

All of Stanbridge’s bedpans thermally disinfect utensils above the required time and temperature, and are built to reach 86°c for 70 seconds, ensuring all pathogens are killed in the process.

It is important to regularly check that this temperature is being reached. Our engineers will do this during a yearly service. 

Temperature Validation

Engineers will test the temperature by placing a temperature probe directly into the washer disinfector chamber, checking that it reaches the required temperature multiple times. The goal is to measure steam uniformity within the machine. 

If the required temperature isn’t met, the cycle will fall short of the mandated A0 calculation hold times, which means some of the harmful bacteria may survive, leaving your staff and patients vulnerable to infection.

Regular Servicing

HTM 01-01 Part D isn’t just a set of rules designed to make healthcare builds more difficult. It exists to protect residents, patients and staff.

By proactively keeping on top of limescale with Deoscale solution, and booking regular servicing to validate hold times against A0 standards, you can protect your facility from failed audits, protect your staff from outbreaks, and ensure that patient and resident care remains uncompromised. 

Is your sluice room equipment due for a service? 

Contact the technical experts at Stanbridge today on 01689 806 500 or at sales@stanbirdge.co.uk to ensure your decontamination workflow is fully compliant.