Analysis of Sterilization Container vs. Sterile Wrappers
In a Sterile Processing Department
Purpose: An analysis of the time to complete packaging for instrument sets in both
containers and wrappers. Review of costs and productivity. Analysis of the time needed
in Decon area to disassemble container pieces and render container ready for the
washers.
Method: Head to head trials timing the completion of the same instrument set in a
container and a wrapper. Both instrument sets are complete and ready for packaging.
Container packaging involves placing set in container, adding filters to the lid, locking lid
to base, inserting two arrows to lock set, adding data card, adding bar code label.
Wrapper packaging involves placing wrapper on table, placing two towels under set,
wrapping set, tapping set, and placing bar code stickers x2 on set. Note: Process did
not include container vendors instructions for use requiring inspection of gaskets and
latches.
Hypothesis: That it takes less time to package an instrument set in wrappers than in a
container. That containers adds unnecessary non value added time to the processing
area. That unnecessary time is spent in the Decon area breaking down containers to
rewash them for future use. That there is added costs/labor to container use that has
been overlooked.
Data collection: 1/1/12 to 7/10/12.
Analysis performed by: Randell Sprouse. LSSBB, Manager Sterile Processing
Analysis of Sterilization Containers vs. Sterile Wrappers
in Sterile Processing Department
Processing Area:
Mean for Containers - 68.286 sec.
* See attached Data
Mean for Wrappers - 54.386 sec.
Difference in Mean - 14 sec.
Containers per day x Difference in Mean = Savings in seconds.
Containers
Process per
Pay
Savings in
Seconds per
Day
Savings in
Minutes per
Day
Savings in
Minutes per
Month
300
4200 sec.
70 min.
1400 min.
600
8400 sec.
140 min.
2800 min.
900
12,600 sec.
210 min.
4200 min.
Processing area labor savings from switching from containers to wrappers:
Labor Cost: Mid range SPD tech, wage 15.59 per hour. 26 cents per minute
Labor cost per minute x Minutes saved = labor savings per day.
Containers
Process per
Pay
Savings in
Minutes per
Day
300
70 min.
600
140 min.
900
210 min.
Labor Cost
Savings per
Day
$
18.20
$
36.40
$
54.60
Labor Cost
Savings per
Month
$
364.00
$
728.00
$
1,092.00
Decontamation Area:
Method for breakdown of one Sterilization container:
Receive container, Remove data card, Remove arrows x 2, Remove filters x 2,
Remove bar code label, Rack container for cart wash.
Mean time to complete breakdown of container: 30 sec.
Decontamination area labor savings for switching from containers to wrappers:
Mean time container breakdown x Number of containers = Savings in seconds.
Containers
Process per
Pay
Savings in
Seconds per
Day
Savings in
Minutes per
Day
Savings per
Month
300
600
900
9000 sec.
18,000 sec.
27,000 sec.
150 min.
300 min.
450 min.
3000 min.
6000 min.
9000 min.
Container disposables costs + Labor costs = Total cost per container. $1.33 + .26 = $1.59
Savings in Minutes per Day x Total cost per container = Total cost savings
Containers
Process per
Pay
Savings in
Minutes per
Day
Cost savings
per day
Savings per
Month
300
600
900
150 min.
300 min.
450 min.
$238.50
$477.00
$715.50
$4,770.00
$9,540.00
$14,310.00
Combined savings for eliminating containers in processing and decontamination:
Processing labor savings + decontamination savings = Total savings
Containers
Process per
Pay
300
600
900
Labor Cost
Savings per
Month
Processing
$
364.00
$
728.00
$
1,092.00
Savings per
Month Decon
$4,770.00
$9,540.00
$14,310.00
Total Monthly
Savings
$
5,134.00
$
10,268.00
$
15,402.00
* Does not include yearly container repair costs
Total Yearly
Savings *
$61,608.00
$123,216.00
$184,824.00
120
60
69
65
70
73
71
69
68
66
67
70
64
60
58
70
71
70
69
64
66
63
70
69
65
69
71
68
70
73
69
66
72
75
63
61
72
74
68
67
69
71
78
75
62
66
70
72
74
69
61
75
72
62
68
72
66
65
71
70
67
66
67
72
64
66
67
70
59
72
70
67
140
52
58
55
50
60
51
52
58
56
50
50
53
59
61
52
50
51
60
53
54
55
55
53
52
60
58
52
54
58
57
51
51
50
53
59
60
61
53
52
50
57
51
53
54
49
53
58
56
50
53
57
59
52
52
53
56
60
62
55
56
54
59
51
53
56
49
56
51
53
50
Seconds
Duration (Seconds) to package Instrument Set - Wrapper
Duration (Seconds) to package Instrument Set - Container
Number of Trial
Wrapper vs Container
160
100
80
40
20
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69
Container vs Wrapper Analysis - Box Plot
80
75
70
Median
65
25th
75th
60
Mean
Outliers
55
50
Duration (Seconds) to
package Instrument
Set - Wrapper
45
t Test Results, Equal Variance
p value
t statistic
Deg Free
t critical
0.05
21.7803
138
1.655972
Avg 1
Avg 2
54.38571
68.28571
You CAN say that the mean of Data Set 2
is different from the mean in Data Set 1.
Description Data Set 1 Wrappers - Data Set 2
Containers
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
Duration (Seconds) to
package Instrument
Set - Container
Conclusions: The analysis of container vs. wrapper usage shows wrapping sets is the faster
process with a difference between the means of 14 **seconds. By eliminating container usage
in SPD decon and processing areas it can be shown that there is substantial savings in labor and
supply costs.
300 containers per day SPD - $61,608*
600 containers per day SPD - $123,216*
900 containers per day SPD - $184,824*
* Does not include yearly container repair costs
**Does not include required inspection of container gasket
The effects on an SPD’s labor time and costs increase with additional container usage “The
container effect”. See page two data. These factors should be considered when adding
containers to a moderate/high volume sterile processing department that is already having
issues with throughput.