Standardization News

With support from the National Property Management Association (NPMA), ASTM International announced a new subcommittee that will create standards that help decommission and dispose of medical supplies, medical equipment, and hospitals. The subcommittee is part of ASTM International’s committee on asset management (E53).

The new subcommittee (designated E53.30) plans to begin its work by compiling a knowledge base of practices used to dispose medical equipment and supplies. From there, the group plans to create standards focused on:

• Inventory reduction and disposal of medical supplies;
• Decommissioning and disposal of medical equipment;
• Valuation of used medical devices; and,
• Decommissioning hospitals.

The need for the new subcommittee was based on injuries to hospital staff who moved old equipment that contained previously undetected chemicals. Another catalyst was the need to wipe private patient records prior to disposing of them.

Organizers say that the new standards will provide practical guidance for workers involved in medical decommissioning tasks.

Anyone interested in medical asset management is encouraged to join the new subcommittee. The NPMA’s next National Education Seminar will happen August 6-9, 2018, in Chicago.