WHY ACCREDIT - PATIENT SAFETY
PATIENT SAFETY
With HLAC accreditation, a laundry becomes part of the safety solution in healthcare’s ever-urgent effort to protect patients through the prevention of infections.
HLAC Accreditation Standards are patient-safety focused and have been developed based on federal regulations and guidelines as well as best industry practices.
This safety affinity makes for a firm and fast connection with a healthcare customer, as in: “We share the same goals.” Laundries without HLAC accreditation come up short in this very important way of comparison.
HLAC-accredited laundries are part of the safety solution in healthcare’s effort to provide patients with the utmost in care.
HLAC Accreditation Standards and their connection to patient safety:
HLAC Accreditation Standards are the minimum acceptable practices for the preparation of hygienically clean, reusable healthcare textiles for patient care.
They cover the complete textile processing cycle: from handling and transporting to laundering and finishing to customer service.
Special attention has been directed to laundry processes directly related to patient safety and OSHA-required practices, including Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Standards.
A Part III has been added to the Standards, addressing the surgical pack assembly room and its activities. This section is based on the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Association for Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) reference regarding reusable surgical textiles processing.
The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) awarded its AORN Seal of Recognition™ to the HLAC Accreditation Standards. This AORN Seal of Recognition confirms that the content of the HLAC document has undergone thorough review by AORN and meets the guidelines of the “AORN Perioperative Standards and Recommended Practices.”
