USA
The Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) is seeking the expertise of its HLAC-accredited laundries to learn best practices regarding the issue of unused healthcare textiles (HCTs).
The move is in response to concerns raised by HLAC earlier this year over unsafe industry practices, specifically regarding the movement of exchange carts of unused HCTs between hospitals and laundries.
"HLAC is visiting accredited laundries to research best practices that are in place to safeguard HCTs so they are adequately protected from contamination in the laundry plant, during transport and at the hospital," said John Scherberger, board president of HLAC, which inspects and accredits laundries that process reusable healthcare textiles.
"We welcome invitations to conduct site visits to see demonstrations of successful operations that ensure HCT hygienic integrity.
HLAC first raised the issue regarding unused HCTs in an article, "A Strategy for Overcoming the Hidden Dangers of Improperly Used Exchange Carts," published in Facility Care magazine (April 8, 2016). In the article, HLAC board members Gregory Gicewicz and Carol McLay expressed their concerns that the hygienic integrity of textiles being returned unused from hospitals was not being maintained.
