Texas Administrative Code
Title 26 - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Part 1 - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION
Chapter 511 - LIMITED SERVICES RURAL HOSPITALS
Subchapter C - OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Section 511.72 - Linen and Laundry Services
Universal Citation: 26 TX Admin Code ยง 511.72
Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a) A limited services rural hospital (LSRH) shall provide sufficient clean linen to ensure the patient's comfort.
(b) An LSRH, whether it operates its own laundry or uses commercial service, shall ensure the following.
(1) LSRH employees involved in
transporting, processing, or otherwise handling clean or soiled linen are given
initial and follow-up in-service training to ensure a safe product for patients
and to safeguard employees in their work.
(2) Clean linen is handled, transported, and
stored by methods that will ensure its cleanliness.
(3) All contaminated linen is placed and
transported in bags or containers labeled or color-coded.
(4) LSRH employees who have contact with
contaminated linen wear gloves and other appropriate personal protective
equipment.
(5) Contaminated linen
is handled as little as possible and with a minimum of agitation and is not
sorted or rinsed in patient care areas.
(6) All contaminated linen is bagged or put
into carts at the location where it was used.
(A) Bags containing contaminated linen are
closed before transport to the laundry.
(B) Whenever contaminated linen is wet and
presents a reasonable likelihood of soak-through of or leakage from the bag or
container, the linen is deposited and transported in bags that prevent leakage
of fluids to the exterior.
(C) All
linen placed in chutes is bagged.
(D) If chutes are not used to convey linen to
a central receiving or sorting room, then adequate space is allocated on the
various nursing units for holding the bagged contaminated linen.
(7) Linen is processed as follows.
(A) When using hot water, the LSRH shall wash
the linen with detergent in the water with a temperature of at least 71 degrees
Centigrade (160 degrees Fahrenheit) for 25 minutes. The LSRH shall meet the hot
water requirements specified in Table 5 of §
511.169(e) of
this chapter (relating to Tables).
(B) When using low-temperature (less than or
equal to 70 degrees Centigrade) (158 degrees Fahrenheit) laundry cycles, the
LSRH shall use chemicals suitable for low-temperature washing at proper use
concentration.
(C) Commercial dry
cleaning of fabrics soiled with blood also renders these items free of the risk
of pathogen transmission.
(D) The
LSRH shall not use flammable liquids to process laundry, but may use flammable
liquids for equipment maintenance.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Texas may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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