December 1, 2003—Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust has won a major European award for good practice in safety and health at work. The award recognized the Trust for removing the hazardous chemical substance, glutaraldehyde, a major cause of occupational asthma, and replacing it with a far safer non-toxic alternative. The awards were made by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work to recognize organizations that have made outstanding or innovative contributions to the protection of workers from dangerous substances.
Nigel Holt, the Trust’s Risk Manager, said, “The Trust started to look for a safer alternative to glutaraldehyde when it became clear that long term exposure could pose health problems to staff. Meanwhile, using glutaraldehyde safely was creating ever-increasing costs. Its removal was unanimously welcomed by staff, who noticed an immediate improvement in their working environment. Patients also benefit as the equipment used during surgery is now subjected to high-level disinfection, meeting all microbiological requirements.”
Glutaraldehyde has been widely used as the chemical sterilant of first choice to clean principally endoscopy instruments used in hospitals. The Trust has now moved to using an oxidized saline solution system to sterilize its endoscopes.
For more information on the awards, visit the European Week for Safety and Health 2003 page on the UK Health and Safety Executive’s Web site.
