A Sluice Room is a controlled decontamination area used in hazardous environments (such as laboratories, hospitals, healthcare facilities or industrial facilities) to transition personnel and materials between contaminated and clean zones safely. It’s designed to safely dispose and clean human waste (urine, feces), contaminated medical instruments, handling of soiled linens or materials, and other potentially infectious materials that may be contaminated with bodily fluids. It often includes shower systems, airlocks, and PPE removal stations to prevent the spread of toxic substances.
Brief Explanation of the Term “Sluice Room”
Sluice or dirty utility rooms are essential for maintaining hygiene standards in environments where patient or personal care is provided. Sluice rooms are part of an infection control system, helping minimize cross-contamination risk. These rooms have specialized appliances such as bedpan washers, macerators, and clinical waste disposal bins.
Staff use sluice rooms to clean reusable medical items (e.g., bedpans, commodes), dispose of body fluids, and store or handle contaminated materials. Proper design, ventilation, and cleaning protocols are critical to prevent the spread of pathogens. Staff working in these rooms must be trained in appropriate procedures, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and adherence to hygiene protocols.
A high-containment biosafety lab (BSL-3/4) uses a sluice room with chemical showers and HEPA-filtered air systems to decontaminate workers exiting areas handling dangerous pathogens (e.g., Ebola virus).
Activities performed in a sluice room typically include:
- Emptying and cleaning bedpans, urinals, and commodes.
- Disposing of soiled dressings, bandages, and other contaminated materials.
- Cleaning and disinfecting reusable medical equipment.
- Pre-rinsing instruments before sterilization.
To ensure safety and hygiene, sluice rooms often have specific design features:
- Durable, non-porous surfaces that are easy to clean and disinfect.
- A slop sink or washer-disinfector is used to dispose of liquid waste.
- Work surfaces for handling contaminated items.
- Ventilation systems to control odors and airborne pathogens.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) storage.
- Handwashing facilities.
Example
Imagine a nurse in a hospital setting. After assisting a patient using a bedpan, the nurse would take the bedpan to the sluice room. In the sluice room, the nurse would:
- Put on appropriate PPE (gloves, possibly a gown and mask).
- Empty the contents of the bedpan into the slop sink.
- Clean and disinfect the bedpan using a washer-disinfectant or manual cleaning methods.
- Any other contaminated materials from the patient’s care should be disposed of in designated biohazard waste containers within the sluice room.
- Remove their PPE and wash their hands thoroughly before leaving the room.