The Dutch Central Sterilization Club is an association with the intention to act as a forum for all who are interested in the preparation and the function of Central Sterile Supply Departments, sterilization procedures and the handling of sterile devices for medical purposes. Furthermore the CSC encourages fundamental and practical research of field related issues.

The CSC has approx. 340 members of which 248 are working in non-commercial organizations; mainly the Central Sterile Supply Departments (CSSD) in hospitals. The CSC encourages the participation of commercial oriented parties, such as industry, suppliers and service providers in her activities. The contribution of these parties is appreciated for their valuable know-how and product related presentations at the semi-annual conferences. Relations are maintained with other healthcare organizations, international sister organizations as well as the government and the Inspectorate for healthcare.

The CSC was founded on 26 September 1969 and will celebrate her thirtieth-fifth anniversary with a two-day conference in October of this year.

Since 1976 the CSC takes care of the training programs for CSSD technicians. These training programs provide the knowledge and through a program of training-on-the-job the skills, necessary to work in a CSSD. On going education is provided during the CSC conferences, which are held each year in March and October. A wide variety of themes have been addressed at these conferences, such as cost calculation for CSSD’s, new sterilization methods, cleaning of surgical instruments, the disinfection of flexible endoscopes and the latest developments in the monitoring of steam sterilization processes.

The executive committee of the CSC makes a great effort to get the job of the sterilization technician a formal recognized profession. The first milestone in this process was the formalization of the occupational profile. Once the profession is recognized, the Ministry of Education will provide the necessary means for a professional training.

Besides participating in the Dutch standardization committee on sterilization of medical devices, members of the CSC write guidance documents on a number of subjects. The first guidance document was published in 1998 and deals with loan instruments. The document gives practical guidance about the procedure to follow and the agreements to make with the provider of the instruments. 

More information about the activities of the Dutch Central Sterilization Club can be found at www.cscnl.net. The CSC can be contacted through chairman Frank Schuurmans or the secretariat,   

English documents on this website:
1.    Intercollegiate auditing - "A guiding instrument for and by the workforce"
2.    Field norm for the loaning, the renting or the giving of surgical instruments