A daily sterilization monitoring checklist only works if it is short enough to finish before the first patient and specific enough to satisfy an auditor. In Ontario, the regulator expects one biological indicator on every day the sterilizer is used rather than once a week, so the daily sheet has to carry that line without becoming a paperwork project. Built well, the sheet takes a couple of minutes and doubles as the record an inspector will ask for. This checklist splits the work into daily, per-cycle and weekly sections, with the fields worth recording in each.
What has to happen at the start of each day?
Run the checks before the first instrument cycle, so a cold sterilizer never processes a load unmonitored.
- Confirm the chamber is clean, dry and clear of debris from the previous day.
- Check the reservoir water level and drain the line if your procedure requires it.
- Place the biological indicator for the day, one per sterilizer, in a representative load.
- Record the date, sterilizer identifier and the BI batch or lot on the daily sheet.
Order matters here. Water and cleanliness first, then the indicator, then the first load, so nothing is processed while a check is still pending. If the practice opens late one morning, the checks still run before the first load rather than after it, because a load processed ahead of the daily indicator is a load without a valid result.
What gets recorded after every cycle?
Each cycle earns one line. Log the cycle number, the time, the printed parameters from the sterilizer display, the load type and the internal indicator reading for the packs in that load. If a pouch carries a dual indicator, write the reading rather than a simple tick. Anything that fails goes on the same line with the action taken, not in a note somewhere else. A row with a gap is treated by an auditor as a cycle that was not monitored, so completeness matters more than neat handwriting. Keep the sheet on a clipboard beside the unit rather than in a drawer across the room. A sheet you have to fetch is a sheet that gets filled in from memory at the end of the day.
Which tasks belong to the week, not the day?
Some checks survive being done less often, provided the record shows they happened. Keep them visible on the same sheet so they do not drift.
| Task | Frequency | Record kept |
|---|---|---|
| Biological indicator | Every day the sterilizer is used (Ontario) | Result, batch, control |
| Bowie-Dick style air-removal test | Start of each day for pre-vacuum units | Sheet result and cycle number |
| Internal chemical indicator check | Every load | Reading per pack type |
| Sterilizer cleaning and water change | Per manufacturer schedule | Date and initials |
How do you keep the checklist usable on a busy morning?
Design the sheet so the busy tasks take the fewest words. Put the BI line, the air-removal test and the first cycle parameters in order, top to bottom, and leave the failure column wide enough to write in. Many Canadian teams follow a weekly biological indicator rhythm as the general baseline seen in CDC and AAMI ST79 guidance used across most US states, but in Ontario the daily use-day rule is the one that applies to the sheet. Where the two differ, follow the stricter rule your province and college set, and note the source on the form so a new hire understands why the line is there. Review the sheet monthly, count the rows against the days the unit ran, and adjust the layout if a column keeps going blank. Hand the form to a new hire and watch them fill in one day; if they hesitate, the form is the problem and not the person.
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→ Start with a trial: CliniEco 24-hour Biological Indicator — 5-Pack Trial (CA $12.99, shipping included). For multi-site or high-volume teams, the wholesale and multi-site ordering page covers account setup and case quantities.
Related reading
How often to spore test a dental office · Dental autoclave spore testing and logs · Dental compliance hub
Opening the day with an air-removal check? CliniEco Bowie-Dick test pack (ISO 11140-5 Type 2, daily vacuum check, 6-pack) fits a pre-vacuum start-of-day routine, and the dental hub above links the rest of the lines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is a biological indicator required in Ontario?
The college expectation is one indicator on each day the sterilizer is used, so a busy five-day week produces five, not one.
Does every load need a Bowie-Dick test?
No. It is a start-of-day air-removal check for pre-vacuum units, run once per day rather than per load.
What do I do if a daily check fails?
Hold the loads processed since the last acceptable result, document the finding and follow your retest and recall procedure.
CliniEco Medical is a licensed medical device establishment (MDEL #35334).
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