Section 388-78A-3040. Laundry.

(1) The assisted living facility must provide laundry and linen services on the premises, or by commercial laundry.

(2) The assisted living facility must handle, clean, and store linen according to acceptable methods of infection control. The assisted living facility must:

(a) Provide separate areas for handling clean laundry and soiled laundry;

(b) Ensure clean laundry is not processed in, and does not pass through, areas where soiled laundry is handled;

(c) Ensure areas where clean laundry is stored are not exposed to contamination from other sources; and

(d) Ensure all staff persons wear gloves and use other appropriate infection control practices when handling soiled laundry.

(3) The assisted living facility must use washing machines that have a continuous supply of hot water with a temperature of 140°F measured at the washing machine intake, or that automatically dispense a chemical sanitizer as specified by the manufacturer, whenever the assisted living facility washes:

(a) Assisted living facility laundry;

(b) Assisted living facility laundry combined with residents' laundry into a single load; or

(c) More than one resident's laundry combined into a single load.

(4) The assisted living facility or a resident washing an individual resident's personal laundry, separate from other laundry, may wash the laundry at temperatures below 140°F and without the use of a chemical sanitizer.

(5) The assisted living facility must ventilate laundry rooms and areas to the outside of the assisted living facility, including areas or rooms where soiled laundry is held for processing by off site commercial laundry services.

(6) The assisted living facility must locate laundry equipment in rooms other than those used for open food storage, food preparation or food service.

(7) For all assisted living facilities issued a project number by construction review services on or after September 1, 2004 for construction related to this section, the assisted living facility must provide a laundry area where residents' may do their personal laundry that is:

(a) Equipped with:

(i) A utility sink;

(ii) A table or counter for folding clean laundry;

(iii) At least one washing machine and one clothes dryer; and

(iv) Mechanical ventilation to the outside of the assisted living facility.

(b) Is arranged to reduce the chances of soiled laundry contaminating clean laundry.

(8) The assisted living facility may combine areas for soiled laundry with other areas when consistent with WAC 388-78A-3110.

(9) The assisted living facility may combine areas for handling and storing clean laundry with other areas when consistent with WAC 388-78A-3120.

[Statutory Authority: Chapter 18.20 RCW. WSR 13-13-063, § 388-78A-3040, filed 6/18/13, effective 7/19/13. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.20.090. WSR 06-01-047, § 388-78A-3040, filed 12/15/05, effective 1/15/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.20.090 (2004 c 142 § 19) and chapter 18.20 RCW. WSR 04-16-065, § 388-78A-3040, filed 7/30/04, effective 9/1/04.]

Chapter 18.20 RCW. WSR 13-13-063, § 388-78A-3040, filed 6/18/13, effective 7/19/13. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.20.090. WSR 06-01-047, § 388-78A-3040, filed 12/15/05, effective 1/15/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.20.090 (2004 c 142 § 19) and chapter 18.20 RCW. WSR 04-16-065, § 388-78A-3040, filed 7/30/04, effective 9/1/04.

Rules

388-78A-3110,388-78A-3120,