Section 518.2100  Laundry Service

a)         Laundry service shall be provided by an organized laundry service under competent supervision or by contract with another entity.

1)         If laundry services are provided by an outside firm, a written contract shall be available and shall specify that the laundry meets the same standards required in this Section.  The linens must be transported in sanitary vehicles. Clean and soiled linens must not be transported in the same vehicle at the same time.

2)         Equipment and construction shall be as required in Section 518.2180.

b)         The freestanding emergency center laundry shall be:

1)         Located so that steam, odors, lint and objectionable noises do not reach patient or personnel areas;

2)         Well-lighted, ventilated and adequate in size for the needs of the FEC and for the protection of employees;

3)         Maintained in a safe, sanitary, lint-free condition and kept in good repair; and

4)         Not part of a storage area.

c)         A supply of clean linen shall be provided that is adequate for the capacity and use of the facility.

d)         Written procedures shall be developed and maintained pertaining to the handling, storage, transportation and processing of linens to prevent the spread of infection and assure the maintenance of clean linen.

e)         All linens shall be mechanically washed using soap or detergent and warm or hot water.  Linens shall be disinfected by using one of the following procedures:

1)         Thermal Disinfection: Linen must be exposed to hot water of at least 160~ F for a cumulative time of at least 25 minutes.

2)         Chemical and Thermal Disinfection: Linen must be exposed to wash and bleach bath water at least 140~ F.  The bleach bath must be at least 10 minutes long and have a starting bleach concentration of 100 ppm. This bleach concentration should be measured by titration on a periodic basis.

3)         Other: A step-wise wash process that has been previously documented by microbiological study published in a scientific journal. The results must indicate no surviving pathogenic microorganisms and a low level of other organisms. Low level is defined as nine out of ten samples with less than two colonies per ten square centimeters of test surface.

f)          All washed linens shall be thoroughly rinsed. A neutralizing rinse is recommended.

g)         Separate areas shall be maintained for storage of clean linen and soiled linen.  Linen storage areas shall be adequate in size for the needs of the facility and shall not be used for any other purpose.  Storage shall not be permitted in areas or rooms where plenums of air conditioning or ventilating systems are located.

h)         Handwashing and toilet facilities for laundry personnel shall be provided at locations convenient to the laundry.

i)          Soiled and clean linen carts shall be so labeled and provided with covers made of washable materials that shall be laundered or suitably cleaned daily.

j)          Soiled Linen

1)         Soiled diapers, radioactive contaminated linen and linen from pathology shall be separately transported, stored and washed.

2)         Isolation and other potentially infectious linens shall be bagged at the location where they are used in durable, leak-proof bags resistant to puncture and tears and shall be labeled or identified as infectious at the site of use.

3)         Soiled linen shall not be sorted or pre-rinsed in patient care areas. Soiled linen may be sorted in a separate enclosed room by a person instructed in methods of infection control.  These personnel shall not have responsibility for immediately handling clean linen.

4)         Soiled linen shall be stored and transported in a manner that does not permit contamination of clean linen, corridors and areas occupied by patients.

5)         All carts and other containers used to store or to transport clean or soiled linen shall be identified for soiled linen only or for clean linen only and shall be kept covered when not in use.

6)         If laundry chutes are used for transporting soiled linen, all soiled linen shall be bagged.  The chutes shall be designed to maintain a negative air pressure within the chute and shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition.

k)         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. They shall not handle soiled linen.

4)         Clean linen received from a commercial laundry shall be completely wrapped in convenient size bundles or otherwise protected and be delivered to a designated clean area of the FEC.

5)         Clean linens shall be adequately protected from contamination.  Clean linen in patient care areas 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.