This recommended practice covers the safe handling and biological decontamination of reusable
medical devices, including design criteria for decontamination areas in health care facilities, staff
qualifications, education, and other personnel considerations, immediate handling of
contaminated items, transport of contaminated items, and decontamination processes. This
recommended practice also includes definitions of terms and reference documents, as well as
informative annexes providing supplementary information on the principles of infection
transmission, the selection and use of chemical disinfectants, thermal disinfection, the safe
handling and decontamination of medical devices returned to manufacturers for servicing, repair,
or failure investigation, and the OSHA bloodborne pathogen regulation.