DECONTAMINATION SERVICES
Teamworking and expertise prove vital in AE(D) role
Graham Stanton IEng, FIHEEM, AE(D), who gave 42 years’ service to the NHS in Wales, spending the last 33 years in the sterilising and decontamination field, discusses the diversity and knowledge of AE(D)s as a group, and the registration process to sustain this key role, and, in the process, to ensure that those operating as IHEEM-registered AE(D)s in the healthcare sector have the necessary competences, skills, and expertise.
In previous articles published in Health Estate Journal (March 2019, and January 2017), I have explained the role of an Authorising Engineer (Decontamination), examined the background to the role being established, and discussed the associated responsibilities. In this article, I want to talk about the diversity and knowledge of AE(D)s as a group, and the registration process to sustain this position.
Role’s evolution
The role of an AE(D) evolved from the Regional Steriliser Engineer to the Authorised Person (Sterilisers), to that as described in the latest HTM guidance – the register for which is maintained and held within IHEEM. HTM 00 summarises the roles, responsibilities, scope, and duties of Authorising Engineers (AEs) in general. The document covers the roles of the other AEs too, as it is seen as a generic position and requirement of the service. IHEEM runs and manages registers for AEs for Decontamination, Medical Gas Pipeline Systems, Water, Electrical, and Ventilation, and is looking at developing other platforms. To see who is registered under each section, visit the IHEEM website (at
www.iheem.org.uk). The detailed responsibilities and roles are outlined in the technical HTM (Health Technical Memorandum) 01-01, 01-05, and 01-06 documents (and in WHTMs in Wales, and SHTMs in Scotland) for decontamination. (See the other HTMs for the specific roles and responsibilities for the other disciplines).
All NHS healthcare guidance across the UK recognises that both the decontamination processes, and, equally, engineering equipment and systems, are constantly developing, and becoming increasingly complex as time goes on. IHEEM is working extremely hard at present to ensure that these registers are robust in the membership and methods of appointment, with the governance requirements ensuring that this process proceeds smoothly.
18 Health Estate Journal April 2021
Steam inlet valves to a porous load steriliser. Governance the driver
For IHEEM, this is being driven by the Engineering Council, who will be auditing the Institute for its policies and procedures. This is the right approach; we need to ensure that our experts working in the fields of operation are competent, and working at the right level. Those who are existing AEs must complete relevant CPD activities that will be monitored and reviewed by the Institute. Governance is now a driver for this word. In straightforward terms, my understanding of governance is as follows: governance is the way that rules, norms, and actions, are structured, sustained, and regulated, and individual and organisations held accountable. The degree of formality of this governance depends both on the internal rules of the organisation concerned, and on its relationship with its external partners. Good governance should be at the centre of the way we operate our business. It is essential for institutes such as IHEEM to achieve their objectives, and to drive improvements through the management/committee
processes, as well as to maintaining legal and ethical standing in the eyes of others and the wider community.
Independent working
The Board that I currently chair works independently, carrying out assessments and approving the applications from members wishing to become an IHEEM registered AE(D), and then enter the AE(D) register. The Board consists of representatives from the Decontamination Technical Platform (DTP), Devolved Administrations, the Institute of Decontamination Sciences (IDSc), the Pharmaceutical Inspectorate, pathologists and microbiologists, the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), NHSI for reference, the IHEEM head office as the as secretariat, and the Eastwood Park assessor of the Framework by invitation. This knowledge base covers all the topics within the requirements of AE(D) registration. This means that a candidate who has gone through our technical framework at Eastwood Park (EWP) becomes a
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