Department Of Veterans Affairs
VA Space Planning Criteria (Chapter 285)
Washington, D.C. 20402
February 2007
Care must be taken to ensure sufficient amounts of floor space for parking and
sorting returned soiled carts adjacent to work stations.
C. The three main areas within the SPD department are Decontamination, Preparation
and Packaging, and Processed Stores. These three areas incorporate a number of
processing features that separate and maintain a clean materials handling flow
through the department.
D. The most important consideration of SPD is the complete, physical separation of
soiled materials and equipment from activities connected with the preparation,
packing, sterilization and storing of clean and sterilized materials and equipment.
E. The decontamination area is totally separated from the clean area and its staff is
confined to this space; therefore, a soiled transition room must be provided with
access between an adjacent circulation corridor and the decontamination area.
F. SPD should be located on the same level and contiguous to the surgery or directly
below surgery with dedicated clean and soiled vertical transport between the two
departments.
G. Special consideration should be given the circulation flow patterns into and out of the
department in order to control the amount of clean and soiled traffic.
H. All staff members working in the SPD department will be properly gowned in order to
maintain high sterile technique standards.
I.
Work stations and equipment for cleaning soiled items must be located in a manner
to facilitate unidirectional flow of work towards the clean side of SPD.
Supply Processing and Distribution (Chapter 285): Page: 8 of 10
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