The law requires a sterilization register. It does not specify the format. The paper logbook is the traditional choice, but its limitations are significant against growing traceability requirements.
The Code de la santé publique requires maintaining a sterilization register. For tattoo artists and piercers, the Arrêté of 11 March 2009 mandates a traceability record for every cycle. For dentists, Art. L.5212-1 CSP requires a register linking cycles to patient records. For podiatrists, the ONPP requires the patient-instruments-cycle link.
The format is not specified: paper or digital, both are accepted. But the register must be complete, legible, and accessible during an inspection.
Missing or torn pages. Illegible handwriting. Forgetting to fill it in after a rushed cycle. Impossible to search quickly (finding a cycle from 3 years ago). No backup in case of fire, flood, or theft. Bulky physical storage over 5 years. No automatic link between the autoclave ticket and the traceability record.
Automatic autoclave report import (PDF or machine file). Traceability records generated in seconds. Instant search by date, cycle number, or instrument. Digital archives accessible on tablet, phone, or computer. Automatic backup — zero risk of loss. Printable traceability labels with QR code linking the pouch to the cycle.
During an inspection, show your tablet to the inspector: all records, all reports, all biological controls accessible in seconds. No more binder flipping.
The Ordre National des Pédicures-Podologues states that the majority of podiatrists incorrectly believe that the USB key or SD card from their autoclave constitutes sufficient traceability. It does not. Complete traceability requires linking the patient, the instruments used, and the autoclave cycle — a link that only a structured register (detailed paper logbook or dedicated software) can establish.
Automatic autoclave report import, instrument-patient traceability, QR labels, digital archives accessible on any device. 30-day free trial.