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Previous by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Chlorine Dioxide Decontamination Date: January 18, 2012 2:00:54 PM EST Author: "Floyd, Karon" |
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Thanks for sending this over to me, we aren’t the folks performing this decontamination for the Lab but I’m happy to respond. We encounter a lot of hesitation and fear towards the safety of decontamination using chlorine dioxide gas, as it is still unknown to many folks. Overall chlorine dioxide gas should be treated the same as formaldehyde and vaporized hydrogen peroxide is, so whatever precautions are used in those processes should be used for chlorine dioxide gas as well. My best answer is that this company has already displayed success in decontaminating their Biological Safety Cabinets (BSC) and Fume Hoods, so the process has been used in their lab already with no safety issues. Depending on the size of the centrifuge, they might be able to place it in the BSC for decontamination being that has been safely done already and would quell any fears. Assuming it’s a larger centrifuge that cannot be placed into a BSC, I would either bag the centrifuge or decontaminate the entire room it is located in (depending on how the HVAC system is setup). There should be no reason to worry about other workers inside the lab though, as the company doing the decontamination work should be proficient in sealing and containing the agent (whether it be chlorine dioxide, formaldehyde, or vaporized hydrogen peroxide) within the chamber/room being decontaminated. We routinely decontaminate isolators, BSCs, rooms, and other items while standing right next to it with no extra PPE.
I would also suggest against moving any piece of equipment out of a TB lab prior to being decontaminated for fear of contaminating other areas or people. For that reason alone I would not suggest moving it out to the parking lot, unless some means of sterile transfer is arranged that the company can connect up their chlorine dioxide gas generator too.
I’ll gladly answer any other questions, but I would venture to say that it is safer to decontaminate the centrifuge within the space than it is to remove it from the lab.
Kevin Lorcheim
ClorDiSys Solutions, Inc
908-236-4100
Karon L. Floyd, MS, EJD
Select Agent Program Manager, Responsible Official
Plum Island Animal Disease Center
USDHS, S&T
Direct: (631) 323-3332
Fax: (631) 323-3097
Email: karon.floyd**At_Symbol_Here**dhs.gov
Never esteem anything as of advantage to you that will make you break your word or lose your self-respect. -Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU] On Behalf Of Eric Clark
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2012 11:04 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chlorine Dioxide Decontamination
Hello DCHAS,
I'm having a centrifuge decommissioned that was used in the tuberculosis lab for many years. The company that's coming in to do the decontamination work is the same company that services the biosafety cabinets and fume hoods. This is a large lab with 100+ employees, so ideally I'd like for them to do the work outside - perhaps in a cordoned off section of the parking lot.
Has anyone got any experiences, thoughts, or warnings about this you'd like to share?
Eric
Eric Clark, MS, CCHO, CHMM
Safety & Compliance Officer
Los Angeles County Public Health Lab
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