(a)
Laundry and linen.
(1) An adequate supply of
clean linen shall be provided for at least three complete bed changes for the
hospital's full bed capacity.
(2)
There shall be written procedures developed and maintained pertaining to the
handling, storage, transportation and processing of linens.
(3) If the hospital operates its own laundry,
such laundry shall be:
(A) Located in such
relationship to other areas that steam, odors, lint and objectionable noises do
not reach patient or personnel areas.
(B) Well lighted and ventilated and adequate
in size for the needs of the hospital and for the protection of
employees.
(C) Maintained in a
sanitary manner and in good repair.
(D) Not part of a storage
area.
(4) Hospital linens
shall be washed according to the following method:
All linens shall be washed using an effective soap or
detergent and thoroughly rinsed to remove soap or detergent and soil. Linens
shall be exposed to water at a minimum temperature of 71°C (160°F) for
at least 24 minutes during the washing process, or a lower temperature of
60°C (140°F.) for 24 minutes may be utilized if the linens are
subsequently passed through a flatwork ironer at 110-115 feet per minute at a
temperature of 300°F. or a tumbler dryer at a temperature of
180°F.
(5) Separate
rooms shall be maintained in the hospital for storage of clean linen and for
storage of soiled linen. Linen storage rooms shall be adequate in size for the
needs of the hospital and shall not be used for any other purpose. Storage
shall not be permitted in attic spaces, corridors or plenums (air distribution
chambers) of air conditioning or ventilating systems.
(6) Handwashing and toilet facilities for
laundry personnel shall be provided at locations convenient to the
laundry.
(7) Soiled and clean linen
carts shall be so labeled and provided with covers made of washable materials
which shall be laundered daily or suitably cleaned daily.
(8) If the hospital does not maintain a
laundry service, the commercial laundry utilized shall meet the standards of
this section.
(b) Soiled
linen.
(1) Laundry shall be handled, stored
and processed in a manner that will prevent the spread of infection and will
assure the maintenance of clean linen.
(2) Each of the following classes of laundry
shall be separately transported, stored and washed:
(A) Linen from isolation rooms.
(B) All radioactive contaminated
linen.
(C) Linen from
pathology.
(3) Soiled
linen shall be sorted in a separate enclosed room by a person instructed in
methods of protection from contamination. This person shall not have
responsibility for immediately handling clean linen.
(4) Soiled linen shall be stored and
transported in a closed container which does not permit airborne contamination
of corridors and areas occupied by patients, and precludes the
cross-contamination of clean linen.
(5) If soiled linen is transported in wheeled
containers such conveyances shall not be used for transporting clean linen.
Carts or conveyances and their contents shall be covered during the
transportation process.
(6) If
chutes are used for transporting soiled linen, the chutes shall be maintained
in a clean, sanitary state.
(c) Clean Linen.
(1) Clean linen shall be sorted, handled and
transported in such a manner as to prevent cross-contamination.
(2) Clean linen carts shall be used only for
the purpose of transportation or storage of clean linen.
(3) Persons processing clean linen shall be
dressed in clean garments at all times while on duty and shall not handle
soiled linen.
(4) Clean linen from
a commercial laundry shall be delivered to the hospital completely wrapped and
delivered to a designated clean area.
(5) Clean linen in patient care units shall
be stored in clean, ventilated closets, rooms or alcoves, used for that purpose
only. Corridors shall not be used for storage of linen.
(6) If clean linen is stored in the laundry
area, it shall be stored in a room separate from the sorting room, laundry room
or soiled linen room.
