Healthcare Laundry Rooms Beware of Infections
Cleanliness is imperative in healthcare laundry rooms and not adhering to standards set by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) can lead to terrible infections and sometimes death.
Healthcare associated infections (HAI) affect more than 1.7 million patients per year costing US hospitals roughly $45 billion per year. Worse than the added costs, HAIs cause nearly 100,000 deaths per year. All of these factors have caused the CDC and HHS to create standards for healthcare facility laundry rooms and the transition from the job title “housekeeping professionals” to “environmental service technician” due to added responsibilities, intensive training and demand for consistent performance.
The healthcare laundry facility standards are rigorous and comprise several factors not directly related to laundry equipment including:
- Design of the room
- Ventilation
- Fixtures and signage
- Personnel training
Working with our OPL team at BDS Laundry Systems allows you to create the most efficient and CDC/HSS-compliant laundry room in a healthcare facility. The guidelines help reduce invisible organism counts on all patient care surfaces including linens, blankets, pillows and more that cause superbugs like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), Clostridium difficile or norovirus.
Agencies like the Healthcare Laundries Accreditation Council (HLAC) are in place to certify healthcare laundry facilities are in compliance with CDC and HHS standards. After in depth inspection the HLAC accredit your healthcare laundry facility ensuring patients you follow the highest standards in processing healthcare textiles and reducing potential for HAIs.
BDS Laundry Systems’ team connects you with the most efficient and advanced laundry equipment to meet CDC and HHS healthcare facility standards. Our experience in the industry can also help meet laundry room design and ventilation requirements. Learn how we can help by calling us at 800-688-0020 or contacting us online to start a conversation today.