| RINSING: -Rinsing of articles after use should not be permitted in patient care areas unless carried out by a trained member of the staff. |
| CLEANING: - All reusable medical devices should be thoroughly cleaned prior to disinfection or sterilization. |
| DRYING: - all articles should be dried appropriately |
| INSPECTION AND ASSEMBLY: - Each item should be inspected for functionality, defects, breakage and then appropriately assembled. |
| PACKAGING: - Articles should preferably be packed in porous material. |
| LABELLING: - Each pack should be marked with nomenclature of the article, contents of the pack, initials of the person who packed it, date and initials of the person who carried out the sterilization. |
| STERILIZATION: - The operation of the sterilizer should be entrusted to a responsible and fully trained person. It should be kept in a state of good maintenance and repair. |
| STORAGE: - Should be properly managed separately for sterile and non-sterile stores. For sterile goods, clean room conditions should be followed. |
| DISTRIBUTION: -Refers to clean and dirty articles exchange system. A program should be established for the collection of used items from patient care areas and distribution of sterilized goods. |
