Safety : a priority in the medical waste management

From machine design to operation: safety at the core of ECOSTERYL
Safety is omnipresent at ECOSTERYL, from the design of machines to their operation, including installation, maintenance, and the overall environment.
Safety is implemented at all levels: compliance with standards, tests, protocols, sensors, safety relays, alarms, and alerts… Our goal is to ensure a completely safe and secure working environment when handling medical waste.
Our mission is to do everything possible to prevent harm to operators, machines, and infrastructure. This is why our safety measures are highly advanced.

Industrial safety: a fundamental priority
In an industrial setting, safety is paramount. Protecting operators, machines, and the environment is a prerequisite for any activity. For ECOSTERYL, which manufactures machines designed to disinfect potentially infectious medical waste, safety is applied at multiple levels.

1) Safety in the design of medical waste treatment machines

General safety is integrated into the design of machines, incorporating various specific measures for future use. This starts with compliance with legislation, such as platform access dimensions, protective barriers, and grilles. Laws and regulations impose essential health and safety requirements.
To this end, ECOSTERYL machines comply with the CE/EU declaration (formerly known as the Machinery Directive).

The Machinery Directive and CE marking recommend a series of measures from the design stage to protect operators during machine operation, particularly considering necessary movements. For example, the height of the machine’s staircase steps must be adapted to the safety shoes worn by operators. Additionally, regulations require placing pictograms in critical areas of the machine that could pose potential hazards, such as high temperatures on the retention tank door or the output conveyor.

2) Safety in installation and commissioning

3) Safety in the operation of medical waste treatment machines

Once operational, the machine could, for various (intentional or unintentional) reasons, lead to hazardous situations or risks that must be anticipated and prevented.
This is why, at every stage of the machine’s operation, an emergency stop button must be accessible at all times to the operator. The placement of these emergency stop buttons (6 in total on an Ecosteryl 250, for example) is precise and strategic. The operator must be able to see and activate them immediately in case of danger. Each machine action is also accompanied by an audible and visual signal, alerting the operator to aspects requiring special attention.

Internal machine safety: alerts and alarms

Safety is also integrated into the machine’s general control system. The main screen displays an alarm and alert system with both sound and visual signals.

ECOSTERYL machines have two distinct types of signals:

Alarm (red indicator): Signals an ongoing situation that poses a real danger. In such cases, a part of the machine (or even the entire machine) is stopped. Examples: smoke detector activation in the microwaves, opening of an access door, etc.
Alert (yellow/orange indicator): Provides information that requires monitoring but does not stop the machine’s overall operation. The operator must remain attentive and vigilant. Examples: an overloaded waste bin, an excessively high or low temperature in the cooling system, etc.

4) Safety during the maintenance of medical waste treatment machines

When switched to “maintenance mode” (a mode exclusively reserved for trained technicians), the machine can become vulnerable. Working on a component with a motor and an axis requires particular caution.

5) Safety in the working environment

Safety also extends to the general environment in which the machine operates, considering factors that may impact the health and safety of technicians and experts working around it.

Ecosteryl machines are highly environmentally friendly. They emit no air or ground pollutants, nor do they discharge liquids or effluents. Regular tests are conducted to assess air quality. The Ecosteryl team also prioritizes the use of biodegradable materials whenever possible.
Additionally, noise levels are taken into consideration. Operating at no more than 80 dB, Ecosteryl machines do not require operators to wear hearing protection.

Moreover, the dry heat treatment process does not generate odors (unlike autoclaves) or smoke (as incineration does). This makes working with Ecosteryl machines far more pleasant compared to other medical waste treatment systems.