N.J. Admin. Code § 8:111-21.6

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 17, September 3, 2024

Section 8:111-21.6 - Laundry services

(a) The facility shall establish and implement written policies and procedures for laundry services including, but not limited to, policies and procedures for the following:

1. The provision of clean laundry for each client, including blankets;

2. The collection of soiled laundry, so as to avoid microbial dissemination into the environment and placement in impervious bags or containers that are closed at the site and time of collection.

i. Containers shall be in good repair, kept clean and identified for use with either clean or soiled laundry;

3. The protection of clean laundry from contamination during processing, transporting and storage; and

4. The sanitizing of equipment surfaces that comes into contact with laundry.

(b) The facility shall provide for soiled laundry to be stored in a ventilated area separate from any other supplies.

1. Soiled laundry shall not be stored, sorted, rinsed or laundered in client areas, bathrooms, areas of food preparation and/or storage or areas in which clean laundry and/or equipment are stored.

(c) If the facility has an in-house laundry, it shall have a receiving, holding, sorting and folding area with hand washing facilities in the room. The walls, floors and ceilings of the area shall be clean and in good repair and its ventilation shall be adequate to prevent heat and odor build-up.

1. In-house laundering shall follow policies and procedures designed to reduce the number of bacteria to a safe level during the laundering process.

2. The infection control officer shall establish a protocol for bed linen or clothing that cannot be adequately processed in a normal wash cycle, for example, clothing or bed linen contaminated by scabies.

N.J. Admin. Code § 8:111-21.6

Recodified from 10:161A-21.6 53 N.J.R. 2208(a), effective 12/20/2021