Top 5 sluice room mistakes we see in new care homes

Designing and building a care home involves countless elements and considerations, and a sluice room may not always be at the top of the priority list, however, it remains an essential part of a home. Here at Stanbridge, we work closely with care homes, architects, and contractors to help ensure there is an efficient waste disposal solution in place that will meet regulations, prevent infection, and avoid any delay with the home’s official registration at the point of the project handover.

During the 65+ years we have been operating, we have seen numerous mistakes relating to sluice rooms, including:

1. Improper or Poor Access

Insufficient consideration of sluice rooms during the design stage frequently results in impractical positioning and operational challenges. For example, placing a sluice room adjacent to a resident’s room can cause noise disturbances due to its frequent use for instance. Other challenges can include small doorways or doors that open obstructively, creating difficulties when staff need to enter the room,  or waste being carried through communal areas for disposal, which is never advisable. Lastly, the absence of a dedicated sluice room on each floor or ward compromises infection control protocols.

2. Non Compliant Layout

Ensuring a functional, compliant design from the outset is essential to prevent costly adjustments later and to guarantee the new care home meets both regulatory standards and operational needs. For example, not having a clear separation between the clean and dirty areas of a sluice room can lead to cross-contamination. Your build will fail to meet CQC inspection standards if it contains a poorly designed or maintained sluice room. Outcomes can include non-compliance or a lower rating.

3. Missing essential equipment

In order for a sluice room to be compliant, it must have the necessary equipment installed. At a minimum, a compliant sluice room should include a reliable Bedpan washer disinfector, a drying rack, and hand washing facilities. Failing to properly equip or maintain a sluice room can undermine even the most robust infection control policies. Investing in quality equipment is essential for safe, compliant care.

4. Incorrect equipment

Selecting the appropriate equipment for your facility is equally important. It’s essential to ensure that all materials within the room are durable, non-corrosive, and easy to clean, such as our stainless steel bedpan washer disinfectors. Designing the Sluice room with the wrong equipment in a sluice room doesn’t just fail—it creates risks. If materials aren’t effective and compliant, they can harbour bacteria and weaken your entire infection control strategy.

5. Poor infection control flow

Infection control flow is often overlooked during the design of sluice rooms, resulting in spaces that, while initially functional, fail to support effective, ongoing infection prevention. This poor design can lead to inefficiencies and contamination risks that are difficult to address once the room is in use. A well designed sluice room will consider the flow of the room when staff are disposing of human waste.

Proactively addressing all the above mentioned commonly seen mistakes during the design and build stage of a care home can prevent and reduce the risk of infection, and ensure a safe environment for residents, staff and visitors alike.

Incorporating the core principles of compliant infection control from the very beginning ensures your new care home is set up for success. By prioritising these standards from day one, you’re not just ensuring CQC compliance and passing local authority infection control inspections—you’re safeguarding the long-term operation of your facility. Take the uncertainty out of the equation and lay a solid foundation for a safe, efficient future.

Contact us today to discuss your project requirements or to learn more about how we can help you with your build.