26
70-2011-5643-0 Issue Date: 10/2015
3M
™
Steri-Vac
™
Sterilizer/Aerator GS Series
Site Planning and Installation Guide
Requirements for a Vented Cabinet
The following are requirements for ethylene oxide (EO) gas cartridge storage:
• Flammable storage cabinet has venting capability. Size of cabinet is based on the amount of planned
and stored EO – typically one to two months supply.
• SECURALL
®
cabinets are one type of cabinet that can be used for storing EO. These types of cabinets
can be purchased through Grainger, a vendor with international access. Product information is
available at: www.grainger.com.
• Use metal tubing, which can be flexible tubing with stainless steel foil for use outside of a wall;
or, use rigid metal tubing for use within a wall.
• A centrifugal fan, with backward curved blades designed for continuous operation, is required to
exhaust the cabinet in a dedicated exhaust system. The fan must be a high efficiency spark-proof
fan with the motor sealed from the exhaust air stream. The impeller and impeller ring around the
drive shaft must be nonferrous. The fan size is based on cabinet size, length of run, and air flow
requirements. The fan size should be determined by the facility’s heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning experts and should be capable of providing 10 air exchanges per hour inside the cabinet.
Connect EO Storage Cabinet to GS Series Sterilizer Dedicated Exhaust
The vent for the storage cabinet can be connected into the overhead exhaust that is dedicated to the
3M
™
Steri-Vac
™
Sterilizer/Aerator GS Series exhaust as a non-recirculating system. With this
configuration, no additional fan is needed. Connecting the cabinet to the system should follow these
steps (Figure 16):
• Remove both metal bungs from the sides of the cabinet and replace flame arrestor screens (normally
these come with the cabinets) into the openings.
• Connect the bottom opening to the GS Series sterilizer exhaust vent (or separate exhaust fan) using
metal tubing. Tubing must have an inner diameter no less than that of the opening.
• The piping should be sealed and is not required to be gas tight. Weld the seams for rigid metal tubing.
For flexible tubing, seal with aluminum duct tape or sealant. The length of tubing should be verified in
order to allow a minimum of 10 air exchanges per hour in the cabinet.
• The top opening shall serve as the fresh air inlet. The make-up air should be supplied to the fresh air
inlet in tubing similar to that used for the exhaust.
• The discharge point for the outside exhaust should be at least 7.6 m (25 ft) away from any possible
sources of ignition, openings to buildings, or pedestrian traffic ways.
Figure 16. Vented EO Storage Cabinet Connection to Dedicated Exhaust
Tie to 3M
™
Steri-Vac
™
Overhead Exhaust Vent
Flame
Arrestor
Flame
Arrestor
Intake
Air
