Everyday a continuous flow of goods enters the sluice room of care facilities and hospitals. The sluice room is where used disposables such as incontinence pads and bedpans are dealt with, and medical and surgical instruments are sterilized and disinfected. Crucially sluices are integral to the infection control regime for any facility and failure to recognise this can lead to rapid spread of Hospital Acquired Infection. A well-planned and properly equipped sluice room is a cornerstone of hygiene and freedom from cross infections. A sluice room should be designed for the purpose of sluicing only and it should be positioned in a place that is accessible from the bedrooms without the need to transit communal areas or areas where food is being served. Thus, how should a sluice room be designed to serve perfectly in a medical centre? Four key elements are required in setting up a sluice room:

• Soiled area, where dirty items are gathered.
• Hand washing station
• Flusher disinfectors for human waste containers (such as Bedpans, urinals, support for disposable bedpans, commode buckets, and kidney-shaped basins).
• Clean storage area, well separated from the soiled area.