What is the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard?
When working with healthcare linens, there are many risks involved including cross-contamination, infection, and more. That’s why your medical laundry needs to be treated with the utmost care and caution.
The Bloodborne Pathogens Standard was set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to protect workers against the health hazards caused by bloodborne pathogens. Its requirements address many things that healthcare workers may face on a daily basis.
At HandCraft Healthcare Linen and Uniform Specialists, we take this standard extremely seriously. We’ve been providing high-quality linen and uniform services since 1970, and we hold ourselves to the highest safety standards.
Here’s more information on what the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard is and how it affects medical facilities and the way we take care of healthcare laundry:
How Exactly Does the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard Protect Workers?
Contaminated laundry is defined by the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard as laundry that has been soiled with blood or other potentially infectious materials or may contain something sharp. Healthcare workers are around this type of laundry regularly. How can they protect themselves as much as possible?
The Bloodborne Pathogens Standard outlines the best procedures to work with this type of laundry, and is a great reference all healthcare facilities should follow. Here are some solutions the standard recommends:
- Handle contaminated laundry as little as possible. It’s best to only handle soiled laundry when it’s absolutely necessary. You want to minimize how often you come into contact with it in order to reduce risks.
- Bag contaminated laundry at the location of use. However, do not sort or rinse laundry at that location.
- Place wet, soiled laundry in a properly labeled and leak-proof container. Labeling everything is essential!
- Don’t hold contaminated laundry bags close to your body or squeeze them. You want to avoid any puncture wounds if any syringes were improperly placed in a laundry container.
- Employees handling contaminated laundry should have the proper protective gear. Gloves, gowns, face masks, etc. put a barrier between any pathogens and human skin.
These solutions may sound simple but, in the fast-paced healthcare business, it can be easy to forget a few steps to ensure safety around contaminated linens. If you’re an employer, make sure your staff is familiar with these guidelines.
OSHA requires all businesses where employees have occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials to follow the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, regardless of whether it’s a small practice or a large hospital.
Working with a Laundry Provider Can Further Reduce Risks
A great way to reduce contamination risks even more while saving time, money, and space is to outsource your laundry with a high-quality linen and uniform provider like HandCraft Healthcare Linen and Uniform Specialists.
As an industrial laundry specifically designed to cater to the healthcare industry, we don’t just follow OSHA guidelines and the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, but we also make sure we fully understand these regulations and hold ourselves to the highest safety standards.
HandCraft meets or exceeds all health standards for our industry. In fact, we set the bar for cleanliness, innovation, and the use of new technology.
HandCraft is Ready to Help Your Healthcare Facility Today!
The Bloodborne Pathogens Standard is important to follow in order to ensure the safety of medical employees when dealing with contaminated laundry. If you decide to work with a linen and uniform provider, make sure they follow this standard as well.
For decades, HandCraft has been a leader in the field of healthcare textiles and industrial laundry. Let us make your job easier while giving you the peace of mind that your employees will stay safe from bloodborne pathogens.
For more information on our services, contact us today at (804) 358-8671.
