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Dirty Utility Rooms in the SHED

This document provides a summary of best practice in relation to the use of utility rooms at SHED. The summary has been created to support staff during the Sunshine Hospital Emergency Department Redevelopment transition and early post-move period, and has been endorsed by the SHED Leadership Team.

Overview:

This QRG will provide an overview of the location and use of our dirty utility rooms within Sunshine Hospital Emergency Department (SHED).

Applicability:

This QRG applies to all Western Health staff working in SHED.

Responsibility:

All SHED Nursing Unit Managers, Medical directors and SHED operations hold the responsibility to ensure a safe environment and proper education and use of the dirty utility rooms.

Guideline/Process Details:

Dirty Utility Rooms aim to protect public health and safety, provide staff with a safe working environment and minimise the impact of waste on our environment. Dirty Utility Rooms consist of:

  • Hand basin
  • PPE
  • Bed Pan flusher
  • Utensil washer
  • Plaster trap (SSU only)
  • Square flushing rim sink
  • Storage of waste: general and clinical
  • Sharps containers are wall mounted

Table 1: Features in each of the SHED Dirty Utility Rooms

 

Square Flushing Rim sink

  

Second sink

  

Utensil washer

  

Pan sanitiser
 

Adult Acute Dirty Utility Room (existing)

  

Yes

  

Yes

  

Yes

  

Yes
 

Old EOU Dirty Utility Room (existing)

  

Yes

  

Yes

  

No

  

Yes
 

Children’s Area Dirty Utility Room (New)

  

Yes

  

No

  

Yes

  

Yes
 

Short Stay Unit Dirty Utility Room (New)

  

Yes

  

Yes

  

Yes

  

Yes
 

Behavioural Assessment Unit (BAU)

  

Yes

  

Yes

  

No

  

Yes

Figure 1: SHED square flushing rim sink with flush hghlighted by red arrow

All SHED dirty utility rooms have a square flushing rim sink. These sinks should be used to dispose of any bodily fluids or any liquids and fluids contaminated or potentially contaminated with bodily fluids. If bodily fluids are emptied into this sink the sink should be flushed afterwards.

 

All equipment requiring cleaning will be washed in utensil washers (see Figure 2). No equipment will be soaked or washed in sinks in Dirty Utility Rooms.

Bottles and pans containing bodily fluids should be placed directly in the pan sanitiser (see Figure 2). Bottles and pans should not be emptied into any sink prior to being placed into the pan sanitiser.

Figure 2: Chilren's Area Dirty Utility with utensil washer and pan sanitiser

 

SHED currently uses existing Dirty Utility Rooms located in Adult Fast Track (old EOU), Children’s Area, new Short Stay Unit and Adult Acute Area. This will expand to include the Behavioural Assessment Unit post SHED Stage 3 Expansion commissioning phase.

Figure 3: Location of Dirty Utility Rooms SHED September 2021

Behavioural Assessment Unit

 The BAU dirty utility room will open with the commencement of clinical services in the new resuscitation area. Staff will access this dirty utility room using the BAU external entry point as shown in figure 2.

Figure 2 - BAU Dirty Utility Room

Supporting Documentation:

Document Governance

Title: Dirty Utility Rooms in the SHED
Version: 3.0
Date Published: June, 2022
Date of scheduled review: 01/6/2023
Author: Approver:
SHED Leadership Team SHED Leadership Team
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