Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council
The key premise behind HLAC methodology for accreditation is to focus on the process. HLAC inspects a laundry’s
processes to ensure that its process meet a predetermined standard viewed as the best method of ensuring that the
product is clean and free from any danger to the patient.
The process is extensive & includes a review and inspection of the following elements to only name a few:
HLAC examines a laundry’s process using a detailed checklist of standardized criteria supported by recognized state, federal and international agencies as well as industry standards. HLAC accreditation is an all-inclusive, on-site inspection of the facility, its processes and procedures and protocols. On-site inspectors observe the operations, inspect its policies and question both managers and production staff on the job for compliance. Production staff and Managers are interviewed and questioned as to what is done, how it is done and their role in keeping the laundry clean and safe. The inspection observes operations, equipment, building design, infrastructure systems and delivery methods. While internationally there is some reliance on biological testing of healthcare textiles after laundering, there is no universally accepted definition of what is hygienically clean. Currently, there is no consensus from the CDC or EPA on a standard test method for textile hygiene. HLAC believes that testing is useful for quality assurance. HLAC’s process centric focus reduces the need to rely on sporadic end product sampling and testing. HLAC believes that the highest level of assurance can only be provided with a correctly designed and managed laundry and linen program. A thorough review and inspection of the laundry textile process from pick up of soiled linen, processing of the linen and delivery of the clean product back to the customer provides the best assurance to the customer of a hygienically clean product.
