USA
In the face of the Ebola emergency, healthcare laundries in the USA are being urged to maintain diligence in following safe laundry procedures.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has posted specific guidance on its website: "Interim Guidance for Environmental Infection Control in Hospitals for Ebola Virus." This covers topics related to waste, linens and recommended personal protective equipment for environmental services.
The Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC), which inspects and accredits healthcare laundries, has set procedures for processing healthcare textiles that cover the complete textile processing system from handling and transporting, through laundering and finishing to customer service. These are based on federal regulation and best industry practices.
President Gregory Gicewicz said that HLAC standards and procedures are particularly relevant to the Ebola emergency. These can be found in "Accreditation Standards for Processing Reusable Textiles for use in Healthcare Facilities, 2011 Edition", which is available at HLAC's website.
He added that adherence to these would be essential if the Ebola outbreak were to spread to the USA.
