Healthcare textiles provider recognized for quality & safety
Source: Mission Linen Supply Date: 2010-07-29
Mission Linen Supply, a leader in textile rental and buy direct programs, announced that its Chino, California facility has received industry accreditation and certification from two agencies, assuring its customers that the highest quality and safety standards are being met. The company has a strong record of safety programs, including two SHARP awards from Cal/OSHA for Worker Safety.
HACCP is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration management system to establish food safety. The guidelines ensure safety through the analysis and control of biological, chemical and physical hazards from production, procurement and handling of the raw material to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product.
Along with the validation of the Chino facility, five members of the Mission Linen management were also HACCP certified.
Validation by HACCP is important to consumers seeking reassurance that there is no harmful bacteria contamination at the plant.
In addition to the HACCP validation, Mission Linen Supply’s Chino, California facility has received accreditation -- the industry’s highest rating on quality and safety -- from the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC). HLAC is a non-profit organization that inspects and accredits laundries processing healthcare textiles for hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities.
HLAC’s mission is to publish high standards for processing healthcare textiles in laundries and to provide an accreditation process that recognizes those laundries that meet these high standards. The decision to become accredited is completely voluntary.
“Becoming accredited makes us a better company. It gives our customers peace of mind to know their supplier is meeting the highest standards in processing healthcare textiles,” said Karl Willig, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mission Linen Supply. “The customers that we serve -- predominately acute-care hospitals -- are used to dealing with agencies, vendors and people who have accreditation. It’s the right thing to do if you are in the business of processing and providing healthcare textiles.”
The primary benefit of accreditation is independent, third party inspection of the facility that finds that it meets or exceeds the highest standards for processing healthcare textiles. A laundry cannot inspect and accredit itself, and its customers generally do not have the time or expertise to do so.
The HLAC accreditation process was developed with several industry groups, including:
American Society for Healthcare Environmental Services (ASHES) - American Reusable Textiles Association (ARTA) - Association for Linen Management (ALM) - Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) - International Association for Healthcare Textile Management (IAHTM) - Textile Rental Services Association of America (TRSA) About Mission Linen Supply
Mission Linen Supply is a privately held company and a leading provider of rental products, services and supplies to hospitality, medical and industrial businesses. The company’s mission is to maximize profits and operating efficiencies for customers by offering them one-stop-shopping for their linen and industrial needs.
Mission Linen Supply manages more than 50 plants and employs three thousand people in California, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and Oregon. The company relies on technology and environmentally-minded vendor partners to conserve resources and reduce waste.
