Container locks!

[allis]

We started purchasing the AESCULAP containers about 2 years ago. And also we are using the locks provided by the same company. Recently we were asked to attach pieces of tapes to the locks. When I asked the unit educator about the reason for attaching the tapes, she was very evasive. Once she said because the OR was confused. The OR needs to see a piece of tape to be reassured the tray was sterilized. After, she said to prevent the locks from breaking. The piece of tapes cover the indicator dots on those locks. What do you think, ladies and gentlemen?

[Harvey Johnson]

The added tape seems a little overkill. We are using the locks with the indicator dots on our aesculap containers also. The locks are a little fragile and seem to break easily if the tray is bumped or picked up wrong as a result we pay more attention when handling, so I guess that's a good thing......

[carol1967]

We have had questions regarding the identification of the color change. It isn't like the stripes on tape or a change from one color to another. I have tried to find a lock with a an easily identified color change.

[Harvey Johnson]

We use the orange aesculap tamper lock #US906 available through Owens and Minor
(00920us906) with indicator dot changing from light blue to dark brown.

[Rebecca Hess]

We are having a problem with sterilization identification. We need to be consistent with
the color change and not have two different ones for the same sterilization method.
We were removing the dot on lock and adding tape but the tape is hard to see on the orange lock
Becky

[edbaker]

With the rigid containers from Aesculap, there is another means of verifying a chemical change for the SPD and OR staff members - that is the index card you place on the outside of the container itself. This means also tells you that the container of instruments has gone through the sterilization process. Our facility has opted not to use the orange locks, we utilize blue ones without a chemical indicator on them, so our staff including the OR understand that the verification is checked by the chemical indicator change on the index card on the outside of the rigid container. Once the container of instruments is opened in the OR there is the verification of the integrator on top of the instrumentation upon opening and presenting to the sterilie field.

[allis]

Once the container of instruments is opened in the OR there is the verification of the integrator on top of the instrumentation upon opening and presenting to the sterilie field.
Shouldn't the integrator be in the most challenging area of the container? How many integrators you use for each container?