Candidate Support Pack - Scottish Qualifications Authority

Disinfection of infected linen in the wash process should follow the NHS Executive
recommendations of either thermal disinfection or chemical disinfection.
Thermal disinfection is achieved by washing at a set temperature for a given period of
time. The recommendations are as follows:
Fabric Temp Time
Polyester cotton 65 °C 10 mins
Cotton 71 °C 3 mins
Chemical disinfection can be used on fabrics that will be damaged by washing at 65 °C.
To achieve chemical disinfection, sodium hypochlorite should be added to the first rinse of
the wash process. This rinse should have a medium dip and should be of at least five
minutes' duration. The sodium hypochlorite addition should be enough to give 120–150
parts per million in the rinse liquor.
This process — or alternatives to it — using accredited detergent/disinfectant should be
set up by a chemical technician from your detergent supplier to ensure that they achieve
all the correct parameters for chemical disinfection.
Activity 6
You are expecting two loads of daily laundry in taped or tied knotted plastic bags or
linen bags to be sorted into six classifications in trolleys from your table.
1 What will you need to do to prepare for this?
2 What do you do with linen in red bags?
Answer sheets p. 3.37
GC8N 22 — Laundry Operations Level 2 3.11