Behind the scenes at CSSD
Thursday, 8 May 2025 / Albury Wodonga Health
Scalpel! Forceps! Clamp!
When our surgical teams need instruments in theatre, they know the tools provided by the Central Sterile Services Department are cleaned and sterilised to the highest standards.
From endoscopy and urology, to caesareans, ophthalmic, orthopaedics, and dental surgeries – the CSSD is always prepared.
CSSD Manager Julie Carey is proud of the service her team provides, and the specialist skills required to ensure a consistent, reliable and exemplary standard of work, seven days a week.
‘We operate onsite sterilisation services at the Wodonga and Albury hospitals as well as the AWH Dental Service,’ Julie said. ‘Each site provides different clinical services, and our work caters specifically to those needs. We also supply several nearby health services along with the Mount Beauty Medical Clinic, Alpine Health, Beechworth Health, Albury Wodonga Parents and Babies Service and AWH podiatry services,’ she said.
The work of the CSSD team begins long before patients arrive for their procedures.
Instruments undergo a thorough cleaning process including the use of ultrasonic cleaners which apply high frequency soundwaves to dislodge contaminants. Instruments are washed in batch washers and placed in dryers. Once they are dry, they are assembled on trays or wrapped singly in disposable packaging. From there, they are placed in steam sterilisers where they are heated to temperatures of 134°C for a set time. The process kills all bioburden. Some instruments are more sensitive and require a lower sterilisation temperature. They are processed in a hydrogen peroxide sterilisation device.
Throughout the process, staff are following quality control protocols, testing supply water for Ph and residue to ensure water quality for the cleaning process itself. All machinery is tested daily before processing of equipment can occur.
Once testing is complete and documented, instruments are washed and dried. Instruments are then either wrapped individually or sorted onto trays for specific procedures. They’re packed in the order they will be needed to reduce handling and ensure theatre staff can find the equipment they need easily.
The trays are then wrapped, sterilised, and, after cooling, moved to the sterile storage rooms where theatre staff can access them in readiness for their scheduled procedures.
The contents of trays used in the theatre are checked several times before, during and after procedures to ensure all instruments are accounted for and returned to the decontamination room.
‘We also source and manage instruments on loan and ensure they are prepared for use as per manufacturer guidelines. After use, instruments are cleaned, decontaminated and returned to the companies or other health services who have supplied them,’ Ms Carey said.
‘We find great satisfaction in supplying and supporting theatre staff, so our patients can have the best possible outcomes.
‘They are the reason we take so much pride in our work,’ she said.
CSSD employs 26 staff. Each has undergone extensive training, regular mandatory upskilling, and industry certification.
The Wodonga CSSD team operates from 7am to 8.30pm on weekdays, and Albury CSSD is operational from 7.30am to 9.30pm weekdays and weekends. Two staff are also rostered from 8.30am to 5pm on weekends while two staff are also rostered at the AWH Dental Service which operates five days a week.