AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

2007 NH "Dear Administrator" Letters

August 10, 2007

ADSA: NH #2007-019
OZONE LAUNDRY SYSTEMS

Dear Nursing Facility/Home Administrator:

We have been contacted over the past few months about whether or not ozone technology designed for facility/home laundry systems would be accepted as meeting the standards for chemical disinfection. These systems use cold water disinfection instead of hot.

Because we are not experts on chemical disinfection we asked the Department of Health (DOH) to review some of the manufacturer’s literature provided and give us their opinion about the effectiveness of the system. According to the feedback we received, ozone laundry systems may be used for cold water chemical disinfection.

DOH did raise some facility staff safety considerations including whether maintenance staff could service the equipment safely if the ozone escaped into the air via a leak. They also felt it was important for the facility to establish a policy and procedure for handling the system and the precautions to take if a leak occurred.

DOH told us that at least one hospital in the state had implemented the system but were no longer using it. The hospital was apparently no longer using the system because:

• While the system apparently disinfected the laundry it did not appear to clean the linens, in that there were significant stains left after washing; and
• Staff complained about headaches, possibly due to ozone leaks.

Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 388-97-347 requires a combination of water temperatures and washing cycle time for facility laundry. WAC 388-97-205 allows for chemical disinfection in lieu of hot water disinfection only for personal clothing.

We are considering revising the WAC chapter to allow for chemical disinfection in lieu of hot water disinfection for all laundry. In the meantime if you want to use an ozone laundry system for facility laundry you will need to ask the department for an exemption to the current requirements.

This system is apparently effective for cold water chemical disinfection when used as directed by the manufacturer. However, there may be other challenges that you should explore. We hope that you have found this information helpful.

Sincerely,

Joyce Pashley Stockwell, Director
Residential Care Services