Autoclaves Get the Sustainability Treatment at University of Alabama at Birmingham

While autoclaving is an effective way to treat waste from medical and research operations, autoclaves can also waste large amounts of water and energy in labs if they are not operated and maintained properly. One steam-sterilizing autoclave can use 84 kwh of electricity per day (enough to power about 2.8 homes); operating autoclaves properly, running them with only full loads, and keeping them in good repair can keep energy use and costs down in labs.

To address this challenge, the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) Green Labs program coordinated with UAB’s Heersink School of Medicine and Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) Department on an initiative to improve the safety and sustainability of autoclaves. During a recent I2SL University Alliance Group call, UAB Green Labs Coordinator Emily Colpack shared details about the initiative, which came about after researchers at the medical school reported extended downtimes for their autoclaves. Oftentimes the autoclaves were being used incorrectly (e.g., forcing the doors open before they were depressurized), which was causing damage. What’s more, turnover of undergraduate researchers created knowledge gaps in autoclave operation, and supply chain issues for replacement parts often extended downtime.

Although the School of Medicine previously sent emails, shared fliers, and posted stickers on autoclaves about proper use, UAB was concerned that these items were not current nor being read. To make outreach more effective and avoid “sign fatigue,” Green Labs created a single, eye-catching flier and posted a new sticker reminding researchers not to open the autoclave before it has completed the cycle and depressurized. The flier includes a guide on autoclave operations, explains the different autoclave cycles, notes when to use an autoclave, has a QR code linking to sustainability tips, says whom to contact at the School of Medicine when repairs are needed, and includes an emergency hotline.

UAB Green Labs now offers autoclave training sessions in the labs, where researchers can ask their questions to EH&S staff and autoclave repair vendors. Green Labs staff also created a sign designating satellite waste accumulation areas; the signs identify which types of waste need to be autoclaved (and which do not) and include contact information for whom to call if researchers are unsure whether to autoclave, thus reducing unnecessary autoclave operation and saving water and energy.