HLAC Accreditation Standards

With the 2023 revision, the HLAC board took into consideration all the feedback given in recent years. The new standards reflect HLAC’s response to those criticisms about the scope of HLAC work and ensure that HLAC is providing relevant professional inspections and value-added as part of the inspection process. The 2023 Standards represent the best laundry standards in North America with respect to linen and laundry processing and ensuring patient safety.  

A few things to expect from the updated standards  

• More emphasis on standards impacting hygienically clean linen  
• Prominence on functional separation and clean/soil issues  
• Less focus on items that do not directly impact hygienically clean linen i.e., eyewash stations  
• Flexibility for operators who employ different methods to obtain hygienically clean linen 
• Easier to read standards, less duplication, better-referenced standards 

The 2023 HLAC Accreditation Standards have been released and went into effect as of January 1, 2023. 

The HLAC Accreditation Standards continue to heighten awareness and increase understanding of the infection prevention and safety culture in the laundry personnel for healthcare textiles where programs, policies, procedures, and practices are common concepts and language.

The elements of laundry processing are specific operations involving procedures, facilities, administrative activities, equipment, personnel, quality monitoring, and advanced technologies as appropriate.  

HLAC has now accredited around 180 laundries and continues to make progress in raising the bar for healthcare laundries, greatly benefiting patient safety in the process. HLAC looks forward to another great year of partnership with remarkable laundries and their teams!