Vacuum Steam Autoclave System

The Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) is Britain's leading industrial health and safety facility. HSL supports HSE’s mission to protect people's health and safety by ensuring risks in the changing workplace are properly controlled.

HSL are inviting tenders for the supply of an autoclave steam sterilization system which will be used to process and ensure the safe disposal of hazardous biological waste. The new unit will replace our current autoclave which is over 10 years old and recently has been experiencing more frequent breakdowns. Most importantly the purchase is vital to ensure that biologically hazardous waste, generated both on site and from incidents, is steam treated in a safe and acceptable way. Steam sterilization remains the ‘gold standard’ for such treatment.

HSL’s Microbiology Team provides a range of analytical support and services to HSE and many external customers, which include the analysis and examination of potentially hazardous materials. Even the most routine of microbiological testing may produce material that is contaminated with biological agents and requires disposal by effective means. The Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP) stipulates that anything of a hazardous nature must be disposed of safely; ideally by steam sterilization facilities that are immediately available at the point the waste is generated. The Microbiology Team has a large Priorclave steam autoclave for disposing of such waste, but the system is over 10 years old and has become unreliable in recent months.

In addition to the safe disposal of our own laboratory waste, the Microbiology team is regularly called upon to decontaminate many types of incident sample, for example, items that have been contaminated with biological residues. Although this decontamination work may be done away from our main lab, the waste is then sealed and safely returned to the lab, where it is usually steam sterilized prior to end disposal. In some cases, whole incident items may be treated in this way to render them safe for end disposal (providing they can be safely steam treated). As well as the operational and health and safety priorities that require effective steam sterilization there are also business drivers for having a reliable, large volume steam sterilizer for the disposal of laboratory waste.

Further information relating to tender T26 15/16 Vacuum Steam Autoclave System Q&A Number 3

The exact dimensions of the bins are as follows; Height: 400mm Width: 300mm Length: 300mm

As mentioned we would need to fit two of these size bins in the autoclave chamber comfortably so that steam is not obstructed entering the chamber and sterilisation of the load is not compromised.

Additional information: Further information relating to tender T26 15/16 Vacuum Steam Autoclave System Q&A Number 2.

- Our tender advised that we are looking for an Autoclave of around 350L. - However if bidders can demonstrate that their Autoclave can easily fit two steel bins each 400mm x 300mm x 300mm then this will also be acceptable.

Contract start date is estimated subject to approval and award.

HSL has applied broad estimates in the lowest and highest value fields in the 'Summary Information' section.