september 2013
Late News ALM, ARTA launch campaign to reduce ‘Red Bag’ waste MISSION, Kan. — The Association for Linen Management (ALM) and the American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA) have launched a new campaign to combat the issue of healthcare linens disposed of as medical, or “Red Bag,” waste. According to the associations, “healthcare laundry operators estimate that over the course of a year, as much as 25% of their linen that is saturated with blood or bodily waste is disposed of as Red Bag waste.” Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, however, require such materials be placed in impermeable, soiled-linen bags. “Essentially, [clients] are paying twice; paying to replace the linen, and paying 18 to 33 cents per pound to dispose of it as Red Bag waste,” say the associations. ALM and ARTA have requested that OSHA review the issue of “Red Bag” waste, and declare a Statement of Intent, which would clarify and affirm proper handling of saturated linen. ALM Executive Director Linda Fairbanks has been working with the Kentucky OSHA to secure the statement, as a request for review has been sent to the federal agency. The associations expect a response later this year. Also, ALM and ARTA will create a public relations campaign to boost issue awareness, and the potential for cost reductions. ALN
Volume 39, Number 9
Linen loss: gone before their time What’s a hospital and laundry to do when linen and scrubs keep disappearing? By Jean Teller NEW ORLEANS — Reducing losses of scrubs and patient linens is of major concern for many medical facilities, according to an educational session, Gone Before Their Time: Reducing the Loss of Patient Linen and Scrubs, presented by the Association for Linen Management (ALM) on the Clean Show’s opening day. Moderator Janice Larson, with Encompass Group, and panelists Mary Ann Curtis, Innovative Products Achievement (IPA); Eva Granado, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas; and Liz Remillong, Crothall
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Laundry Services, focused on true losses—from theft, disposal, or being taken out of circulation pre-
such as stockpiles, overstocking or hoarding. See LINEN on Page 6
‘Do no harm’ when laundering patient slings By CARLO CALMA RICHMOND, Ky. — “Do no harm” remains the cardinal rule for healthcare professionals, and the “Safe Patient Handling” programs instilled in many facilities today aids them in ensuring that patients receive proper care when being moved or transferred. “What it comes down to is providing patient handling, with the use of equipment with the effort to [reduce] injuries associated to manual moving, lifting [and] transferring of patients,” says Steve Hoffman, director of education and training for patient lift systems manufacturer Medcare Lifts. Hoffman partnered with the Association for Linen Management (ALM) to host the webinar Maintenance and Utilization Practices for Patient Safety Devices
to discuss best practices for healthcare facilities and the use of patient safety devices, particularly slings and lifts. Slings and lift systems are important to the health of patients, and to the health of care providers as well, according to Hoffman. “Healthcare professionals, those that provide direct care to patients, are in the top two of all professions out there for rates of back injuries, and specifically those injuries that lead to days away from work,” says Hoffman. He further outlined that “the majority of all nursing injuries are related to patient transfers” and that up to 52% of all nurses have complained of chronic back pain, with up to 12% of them leaving the profession altogether. “The cumulative result in all this is that we are seeing a percentage
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maturely—rather than artificial losses, those in which the items are simply not circulating for reasons
of nurses completely leaving the profession.” To combat this, many hospitals and healthcare facilities utilize slings and lift systems. “We’re getting rid of the old ‘heave-ho’ approach,” says Hoffman. “With slings and lifts, we … move away from that approach to a more modern, engineering, controlled approach to getting rid of these injuries … both for patients and staff.” Lift systems and slings not only mitigate the tension that comes with transferring or moving patients, it lessens the number of staff members needed altogether. “In the manual approach, when we’re dealing with heavy patients, oftentimes it will take [up to] six staff members to move that patient,” says Hoffman. “With the use of a lift and a sling, oftentimes
we can see that reduced to one or two staff.” There are many types of slings available in the market today, with most reusable ones made from a polyester or polyester-nylon blend, he explains. Slings like the seated sling, or the full body sling, are considered “the most universal,” as they assist in lifting a patient out of their bed into a chair, “which is one of the most common types of transfers,” according to Hoffman. But regardless of their specific use, laundry professionals also play an important role in their continued usefulness. “The laundry folks … become a very key piece to this puzzle in making sure that slings are properly laundered, taken care of, See SLINGS on Page 6
The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management
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Winona ORC Opens Healthcare Laundry
Looking for a stable source of employment for the disabled, the Minnesota center gets into the laundry business.
8/23/13 2:41 PM