USA
Crown Linen Services, the Brockton, Massachusetts, family-owned uniform rental and linen service offering commercial laundry services to non-profits and businesses in New England for more than 100 years, has recently qualified for renewal of the Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification. The recertification reflects continued commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and the capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing.
The Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification confirms the organization’s continuing dedication to infection prevention, compliance with recognized industry standards and processing healthcare textiles using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, a focal point for Hygienically Clean inspectors’ evaluation. The independent, third-party inspection must also confirm essential evidence that:
To achieve certification initially, laundries pass three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean Healthcare textiles and diminished presence of yeast, mould and harmful bacteria. They also must pass a facility inspection. To maintain their certification, they must pass quarterly testing to ensure that as laundry conditions change, such as water quality, textile fabric composition and wash chemistry, laundered product quality is consistently maintained. Re-inspection occurs every two to three years.
This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for hospitals, surgery centres, medical offices, nursing homes and other medical facilities.
Objective experts in epidemiology, infection control, nursing and other healthcare professions work with Hygienically Clean launderers to ensure the certification continues to enforce the highest standards for producing clean healthcare textiles.
“Congratulations to Crown Linen Services on their recertification,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “This achievement proves their commitment to infection prevention and that their laundry takes every step possible to prevent human illness.”
For information on Hygienically Clean and other TRSA certification programs, E: afreeman@trsa.org.
