| (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.
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