Confusion over regulations on handling of blood-saturated linen is creating unnecessary costs for hospitals when they mistakenly have it hauled away as regulated waste and again when they replace the materials, according to an article in Health Facilities Management magazine's website.
The Association for Linen Management (ALM) and the American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA) have asked the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) for clarification on regulations for proper handling of the linens.
According to the article, health care laundry operators estimate that as much as 25 percent of linen that is saturated with blood or bodily waste is disposed of incorrectly as regulated waste in red bags, according to ARTA.
The problem appears to be a misinterpretation by hospital risk managers of the OSHA definition for regulated waste. "I can see how the error in interpretation may have occurred, but reusable linen is not waste," says Linda Fairbanks, executive director, ALM. In fact, blood-saturated linen is highly cleanable and reusable, she said in the article..
Read the article.
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