The purpose of this section is to identify and reduce the risk of acquiring and transmitting infections and communicable diseases between patients, employees, medical staff, volunteers, and visitors.

Hospitals must:

1. (1) Develop, implement and maintain a written infection control and surveillance program;

2. (2) Designate staff to:

   1. (a) Manage the activities of the infection control program;
   2. (b) Assure the infection control program conforms with patient care and safety policies and procedures; and
   3. (c) Provide consultation on the infection control program, policies and procedures throughout the entire facility;

3. (3) Ensure staff managing the infection control program have:

   1. (a) A minimum of two years experience in a health related field; and
   2. (b) Training in the principles and practices of infection control;
4. (4) Develop and implement infection control policies and procedures consistent with the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other nationally recognized professional bodies or organizations;

5. (5) Assure the infection control policies and procedures address, but are not limited to the following:

   1. (a) Routine surveillance, outbreak investigations and interventions including pathogen distributions and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles consistent with the 2006 CDC Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee Guideline, Management of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms in Healthcare Settings;
   2. (b) Patient care practices in all clinical care areas;
   3. (c) Receipt, use, disposal, processing, or reuse of equipment to prevent disease transmission;
   4. (d) Preventing cross contamination of soiled and clean items during sorting, processing, transporting, and storage;
   5. (e) Environmental management and housekeeping functions;
   6. (f) Approving and properly using disinfectants, equipment, and sanitation procedures;
   7. (g) Cleaning areas used for surgical procedures before, between, and after use;
   8. (h) Hospital-wide daily and periodic cleaning;
   9. (i) Occupational health consistent with current practice;
   10. (j) Attire;
   11. (k) Traffic patterns;
   12. (l) Antisepsis;
   13. (m) Handwashing;
   14. (n) Scrub technique and surgical preparation;
   15. (o) Biohazardous waste management according to applicable federal, state, and local regulations;
   16. (p) Barrier and transmission precautions; and
   17. (q) Pharmacy and therapeutics;

6. (6) Establish and implement a plan for:

   1. (a) Reporting communicable diseases according to chapter 246-100 WAC; and
   2. (b) Surveying and investigating communicable disease occurrences in the hospital consistent with WAC 246-320-171;
7. (7) Hospitals may develop and implement infection control policies and procedures specific to a patient care area.

[Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.41 RCW and RCW 43.70.040. WSR 09-07-050, § 246-320-176, filed 3/11/09, effective 4/11/09.]