Safe, Clean, and Proven: Daniels Reusable Container Testing Confirms Effective Sanitization
Daniels Health has always been committed to providing clean, safe, and reusable containers to hospitals, clinics and other healthcare environments. That’s why running quality control swabbing to test these systems and ensure their efficacy is such a key step in providing complete transparency and confidence to their users. Healthcare facilities rely on the reusable Sharpsmart, Medismart, and Chemosmart containers every day to manage waste efficiently and protect staff, patients, and the wider community from potential infections and contamination.
At the heart of the Daniels reusable waste container system is the Washsmart washline process that decontaminates every container once they are full and returned to the Daniels processing facility. This proprietary process ensures each container is sanitized and ready for reuse.
Providing verifiable proof that the system works is key to maintaining trust with healthcare professionals. Reusable medical waste containers carry many benefits, including enhanced safety and contamination prevention. Our team routinely conducts random microbiological residue testing and specialized cytotoxic container checks to provide the data to reinforce our promises and maintain the trust of the healthcare systems we serve. We’re proud to share the results of these tests.
TOPICS WE WILL COVER:
What Is Washsmart and How Does it Deliver Decontamination?
The Washsmart washline is at the core of Daniels Health’s reusable container system. Every container that goes through Washsmart is decontaminated using a controlled, validated process that meets the highest standards for healthcare safety. The system is designed to remove microorganisms and cytotoxic residues consistently, ensuring that containers are safe to return to clinical use.
Washsmart is a fully monitored process that incorporates careful handling, controlled temperatures, and scientifically validated cleaning protocols. Each step is tested and documented, providing healthcare managers with assurance that the containers they receive are safe and compliant. Regular quality control checks confirm that the system performs as intended, making Washsmart a key part of Daniels Health’s commitment to infection prevention and reliability.
Inside the Washsmart System: How Containers Are Decontaminated
It’s helpful to understand how the Washsmart robotic washline ensures that every Sharpsmart and Medismart container is cleaned and thoroughly sanitized. Each container undergoes a validated, fully monitored process to remove microorganisms, cytotoxic residues, and other contaminants where applicable. The key steps in the Washsmart process are:
- Weigh and Scan: First, full containers are weighed and the affixed barcode is scanned on the robotic conveyor system to enable complete traceability.
- Decant and Empty: Robotic arms tip containers to safely discharge contents into holding bins, minimising staff exposure.
- High-Pressure Flush: Cold water jets remove blood, body fluids, and stubborn residue from every surface.
- Wash: Containers are washed with hot water and biodegradable detergent at controlled temperatures. Water from later stages is recycled to reduce environmental impact.
- Hot Rinse: A final rinse at 85°C ensures complete sanitization.
- Drying: High-pressure, high-volume air jets remove surface water, preventing microbial growth. Residual heat ensures containers are dry and ready for immediate use.
- SMARTGUARD Coating: Extensive research has enabled Daniels to provide a patented anti-stick coating that prevents residue buildup from adhesives, dyes, and body fluids during future use.
- Quality Control Checks: Each container undergoes a 10-point inspection for functionality, scuffs, cuts, and smears. Critical wash elements including temperature, time, and water volumes are monitored, and the system shuts down automatically if any parameter falls outside specification.
This process achieves a 6-log reduction in bioburden, exceeding Canadian healthcare and CDC standards, and ensures that every reusable container is safe, hygienic, and ready for use.
Routine Protein Swab Testing Provides Verifiable Proof of Reusable Container Decontamination
Daniels Health routinely conducts microbiological residue testing, and these results provide further proof that the Washsmart system effectively decontaminates containers. Here’s how this randomized testing process works:
- Random selection: Sharpsmart and Medismart containers are chosen from the washline to ensure unbiased testing.
- Thorough swabbing: Inside, outside, and tray surfaces are swabbed to check for protein, which indicates the presence of microorganisms.
- Accurate testing: Swabs are analyzed in the lab to confirm the removal of potential pathogens.
The results?
All protein tests to date have come back negative, meaning the Daniels reusable containers that went through the Washsmart washline had zero pathogen presence. This data demonstrates just how effective the Washsmart process is for consistently decontaminating containers.
For healthcare managers, these results provide peace of mind, confirming that every reusable container meets rigorous safety standards and reduces the risk of infection transmission in clinical environments.
Cytotoxic Container Testing: Going Beyond the Basics
Cytotoxic sharps containers, used for chemotherapy waste, require a high level of decontamination. That’s why it was important for Daniels Health to conduct additional in-depth testing to ensure the Washsmart system removes all cytotoxic residue.
Recently, Daniels conducted a routine test to provide further data on the Washsmart’s efficiency when it comes to cytotoxic substances. Containers were randomly selected and swabbed for 19 different cytotoxic medications before and after washing. Prior to the Washsmart cycle, some containers showed detectable residues, which is expected given their use in clinical settings. After the Washsmart process, none of the containers had any remaining detectable cytotoxic residue.
These results confirm that the Washsmart system effectively decontaminates even the highest-risk containers. For hospitals and oncology clinics, this provides confidence that chemotherapy waste is handled safely and that staff are protected from exposure to hazardous substances.
The Advantages of Reusable Containers
Choosing reusable containers from Daniels Health offers measurable benefits for healthcare facilities, combining safety, efficiency, cost savings, and positive environmental impact.
Unlike single-use containers, Daniels Sharpsmart and Medismart systems are designed to be emptied, washed, and sanitized through the Washsmart robotic system after each use. This ensures a consistent, high level of decontamination while reducing reliance on disposable plastics, which carry multiple risks and inefficiencies.
Key benefits include:
- Safety and infection prevention: Daniels Health’s reusable containers go through a validated eight-step sanitization process that achieves a 6-log reduction in bacterial load, four times higher than required by Canadian healthcare standards. Studies show reusable containers present a negligible risk of infection. Sharpsmart collectors also feature gravity-balanced trays, tamper-proof locks, and strategic placement options to reduce needlestick injuries and cross-contamination.
- Environmental impact: Over a 50-year lifecycle, a Sharpsmart container can eliminate the manufacture of hundreds of thousands of disposable units. Facilities have reported reductions of up to 28% in plastic and cardboard waste, along with significant greenhouse gas emission reductions. Water is recycled through the Washsmart process, and environmentally harmful chemicals are avoided in favor of an innovative process which uses sustainable solutions and water saving methods.
- Operational efficiency: With predictable container counts, automated collection, and robotic washing, facilities save labour time and reduce container handling. Larger containers reduce the frequency of exchanges, giving staff one less operational concern.
- Cost savings: Reusables reduce the recurring cost of purchasing disposable containers and eliminate expenses associated with disposing of single-use plastic. The durability and safety features of Sharpsmart containers make them a cost-effective solution while improving workflow and reducing risk.
By moving to a reusable container system, healthcare facilities not only strengthen safety and compliance but also contribute to sustainability goals and cost efficiencies, all while ensuring staff and patients are protected.
Healthcare Leaders Trust Daniels Health Reusable Containers
For healthcare managers, the proof behind the process is just as important as the process itself. Daniels Health’s rigorous testing of its Washsmart washline translates directly into benefits that matter every day in clinics and hospitals.
By verifying that reusable containers are free from microorganisms and cytotoxic residues, Daniels ensures safety for staff and patients. This level of reliability also supports regulatory compliance, giving managers confidence that their waste handling systems meet stringent safety standards.
Consistency is a key component of the Daniels Health brand. Knowing that every container meets the same high standard allows healthcare teams to focus on patient care. Daniels is committed to providing real-world solutions to the challenges Canadian healthcare professionals face, with practical solutions to sharps disposal and waste management. From safer sharps containers and tamper-proof designs and easy transportation and storage solutions, we’re focused on continuing to innovate with safer and more streamlined solutions.
Healthcare leaders can confidently choose Daniels Health knowing that every container, every wash cycle, and every quality control check is validated, monitored, and documented. To learn more about how Daniels’ reusable containers can enhance safety, reduce costs, and strengthen your facility’s waste management practices, contact our team today.
Fast Facts on Daniels Health Reusable Containers
- Random swabs after the Daniels proprietary Washsmart decontamination process have consistently returned negative results for protein. This shows the effective removal of pathogens.
- Cytotoxic testing has shown Daniels Sharpsmart chemotherapy waste containers have zero detectable cytotoxic residues after the Washsmart process.
- The Washsmart robotic washline achieves a 6-log reduction in microbial load, exceeding Canadian healthcare standards.
- Each container undergoes multiple cleaning steps and monitored wash parameters, followed by a 10-point quality inspection to ensure function, cleanliness, and safety.
- Daniels reusable containers reduce landfill waste, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and provide long-term cost savings compared with single-use alternatives.
Taylor Maris
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