Failure to Bag Soiled Laundry and Linens at Point-of-Use
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that soiled personal laundry and linens were properly bagged at the point-of-use and transported in a manner that would reduce the risk of cross-contamination and infectious spread. During a tour of the main laundry washroom and two units, it was observed that soiled linens and personal clothing were placed loosely in mobile bins without being bagged, causing items to touch each other. The housekeeper confirmed that these items should have been bagged prior to transport and acknowledged that this issue had occurred before. In the soiled utility rooms of both units, similar practices were observed, with soiled laundry not being bagged and, in one instance, biohazard-marked bags were placed on top of uncovered soiled laundry. Review of facility documentation revealed that monthly audits of laundry and linen areas did not include the soiled utility rooms where soiled linens were kept before transport. The facility's infection prevention and control program policy did not address soiled linen handling or transportation, and the only related protocol provided was specific to isolation rooms. The interim DON, who also served as the infection preventionist, confirmed that staff had been educated on the need to bag soiled items at the point-of-use, but acknowledged the ongoing issue. No facility policy on soiled laundry handling and transportation was provided.