Pennsylvania Code › Title 34 - LABOR AND INDUSTRY › Part I - Department of Labor and Industry › Chapter 47 - MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS › Subchapter A - BEDDING AND UPHOLSTERY › LABELING › Section 47.27 - Sterilization

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a)
General.
All feathers, down, wool, hair and shoddy shall be
					 sterilized and disinfected before being used as filling material.
(b)
Secondhand articles.
All
					 secondhand mattresses, pillows, bolsters, feather beds, comfortables, cushions
					 and upholstered furniture shall be sterilized and disinfected before being
					 resold. The filling material of such secondhand articles shall not again be
					 used as filling material until after it has been sterilized. All secondhand
					 filling material used in the making or renovating of upholstered furniture
					 shall be sterilized and disinfected before being used.
(c)
Methods.
The following
					 are approved methods of sterilization:
(1)
Chemical gases.
All material to be sterilized by this method
					 shall be treated with formaldehyde in a moist atmosphere for a period of at
					 least ten hours. Formaldehyde gas shall be generated from the use of one pint
					 of formaldehyde solution (37%) to each 1,000 cubic feet of air space or through
					 the use of any commercial fumigators which generate an equivalent quantity of
					 gas. The moist atmosphere shall be produced by thorough sprinkling of the floor
					 of the room with warm water just prior to fumigation. When the sterilizing
					 vault is located within a building where workmen are employed, provision shall
					 be made to exhaust the gases directly to the outside air. Both inlet and
					 exhaust connections shall be equipped with gastight shutoff valves which can be
					 operated from the outside of the vault. The vault door shall be kept locked
					 during the process of sterilization. The safest and most convenient way to
					 release the gas from the formaldehyde solution is to add to the solution 1/2
					 the amount of potassium permanganate. This boils the solution and releases the
					 gas. To avoid boiling over, the mixing should be done in a large pail. Any of
					 the commercial fumigators which use formaldehyde of the proper quantity and
					 quality will be acceptable when evidence is given that the gas-generating power
					 of the fumigator is equivalent of gas generated from one pint of formaldehyde
					 solution (37%) to each 1,000 cubic feet of space.
(2)
Steam.
Sterilization by
					 the use of steam shall conform to the following:
(i) All materials to be sterilized shall be
					 subjected to treatment by steam under a pressure of 15 pounds maintained for 30
					 minutes or a pressure of 20 pounds maintained for 20 minutes.
(ii) As an alternate method, two applications
					 of streaming steam, maintained for a period of one hour each, applied at
					 intervals of not less than six nor more than 24 hours, may be used.
(iii) A gauge for registering steam pressure,
					 visible from the outside of the room, shall be provided when steam under
					 pressure is used, and valved outlets shall be provided near the bottom and the
					 top of the room when streaming steam is employed.
(3)
Heat.
A temperature of
					 235°F held for a period of 2 hours, within a closed container is considered
					 satisfactory for proper sterilization. This method is not recommended for
					 furniture.
(4)
Washing and
					 drying.
Feather pillows will be considered as having been sterilized
					 when the feathers and ticking are kept intact without opening, and washed by a
					 commercial laundry method with subsequent drying to remove moisture. Hair
					 mattresses will be considered as having been sterilized when the hair is
					 removed from the ticking and washed by a commercial laundry method and
					 subsequently dried to remove all moisture, and when the ticking is washed and
					 subsequently dried.
(5)
Spray.
Second-hand articles of bedding or upholstered
					 furniture exposed for sale, lease or auction or delivered for purposes of
					 reupholstering shall be considered as disinfected under the requirements of
					 this chapter when the following process is used:
(i) A separate room, well ventilated to the
					 outside, either naturally or mechanically, shall be provided and isolated from
					 other parts of the establishment. The material or article shall be thoroughly
					 sprayed over all surfaces and in all crevices and corners, including the frame
					 of articles being renovated. A continuous action pressure sprayer shall be used
					 applying a germicidal solution with insecticide additive, approved by the
					 Industrial Board; which application shall be in accordance with the
					 manufacturer's specifications.
(ii)
					 Such disinfected articles shall not be removed from the said isolated room
					 prior to a 30-minute interval after the treatment. The spraying operator is
					 required to use an approved type mask to prevent inhalation of
					 chemicals.
(6)
Other method.
Any other method approved by the
					 Board.