ICS 97.160 , 11.140  
 
Reference number
DRS442 -1: 2020
© RSB 2020
  
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS
442-1
First edition
2020 -mm-dd
Hospital linen  — Specification  — Part 1: 
Bed sheets  
   
DRS 442 -1: 2020  
©RSB 2020 - All rights reserved                  ii 
 In order to match with technological development and to keep continuous progress in industries, 
standards are subject to periodic review. Users shall ascertain that they are in possession of the latest 
edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© RSB2020  
All rights reserved. Unless  otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized 
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without  
prior written permission from R SB. 
Requests for permission to reproduce thi s document should be addressed to : 
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E-mail: info@rsb.gov.rw  
Website: www.rsb.gov.rw  
ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw  DRS 442 -1: 2020  
iii                ©RSB2020 - All rights reserved  
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 1 
3 Terms and defi nitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 1 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...2 
4.1 General requirements ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 2 
4.1.1  Yarn  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 2 
4.1.2  Fabric  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 2 
4.1.3  Hemming  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 2 
4.1.4  Stitching  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 2 
4.2 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 3 
5 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 3 
6 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 3 
7 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 4 
7.1 Lots  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 4 
 DRS 442 -1: 2020  
©RSB 2020 - All rights reserved                  iv 
 Foreword  
Rwanda Standard sareprepared by Technical Committees and approved by R wanda Standards Board (RSB) 
Board  of Directors in  accordance with the procedures of RSB, in compliance with Annex 3 of the WTO/TBT 
agreement on the preparation, adoption and application of standards.  
The main task o f technical committees is to prepare national standards.  Final Draft Rwanda S tandards 
adopted by Technical committ ees are ratified  by me mbers of RSB Board of Director s for publication and 
gazettment as Rwanda Standards.  
DRS 442 -1 was prepared jointly  by Te chnical Committee RSB/TC 029, Textile and Leather technology and 
RSB/TC 034, Medical equipment and accessories devices.  
In the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following standard  (s): 
1) US 1969 , Textiles — Hospital cotton bed sheets — Specification  
2) TZS 214, T extiles – Hospital bed sheets – specification.  
The assistance de rived from the above source is hereby acknowledged with thanks.  
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represent ed on the Technical Committee on Textile and leather technology 
(RSB/TC 029) in the preparation of this standard.  
Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM)  
Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA)  
University of Rwanda -College of Science and Technology (UR -CST)  
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Butare (CHUB)  
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali (CHUK)  
Rwanda Military Hospital Rwanda Military Hospital (RMH)  
 Rwanda Biomedical Centre  
OXALIS Ltd  
Rene Pharmacy  DRS 442 -1: 2020  
v                ©RSB2020 - All rights reserved  
 UTEXRWA Ltd  
GLO CREATIONS  
LIXIL/SATO  
Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) – Secretariat  
 DRS 442-1: 2020  
1                ©RSB2020 - All rights reserved  
 Hospital linen — Specification — Part 1: Bed sheets  
1 Scope  
ThisDraft Rwanda Standard specifies the requirements, sampling and methods of tests for hospital bed 
sheets.  
2 Normative references  
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes 
requirements of this document.  For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
RS ISO 1833 -11, Textiles — Quantitative chemical analysis — Part 11: Mixtures of certain cellulose fibres 
with certain other fibres (method using sulfuric acid) RSISO 3071, Textiles — Determination of pH of aqueous 
extract  
ISO 3801 , Textiles — Woven fabrics — Determination of mass per unit length and mass per unit area  
RS ISO 5077 , Textiles — Determination of dimensional change in washing and drying  
ISO 7211 -2, Textiles – Woven fabrics – Construction – Methods of analysis – Part 2: Determination of number 
of threads per unit length  
RS ISO 8498, Woven fabrics — Description of defects — Vocabulary  
RS ISO 13934 -1, Textiles —Tensile properties of fabrics — Part 1: Determination of maximum force and 
elongation at maximum force using the strip method  
ISO 22198, Textiles — Fabrics — Determi nation of width and length  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the follow ing terms and definitions apply . 
3.1 
dressing materials  
materials applied to yarns during warp preparation such as size, stiffening or softening agents   
©RSB 2020 - All rights reserved                  2 
 3.2 
filling material  
non-substantive and generally insoluble materials added to fabric together with starches or gums duringt he 
finishing process to add weight or to modify the appearance and handle of the fabric  
3.3  
hospital linen  
textile used in hospitals including bed cover, pillow cover, bed sheets, towel, blanket, doctor’s coat, table 
cover etc.  
4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements  
4.1.1  Yarn  
The yarn used in the manufacture of bed sheet fabric shall be of the required quality to ensure that the fabric 
complies with the requirements of this  Draft Rwandan  Standard. The approximate count of warp and weft 
isgiven in table 1 . 
4.1.2  Fabric  
4.1.1 The fabric  used in the manufacture of the hospital bed sheet shall be in plain weave  
4.1.2 The fabric  shall be free from dressing and filling materials and from substances liable to cause 
subsequent tendering  
4.1.3 The fabric  shall be  trimmed and singed . 
4.1.4  When visually inspected, the bed sheet shall be free defects described in RS IS O 8498.  
4.1.3  Hemming  
Each traverse end of the bed sheet shall be hemmed to a depth of not less than 20 mm, the raw edges having 
a turn of 7 mm before the hem is formed  
4.1.4  Stitching  
The stitching shall be firm and regular. The hemming shall be uniform throughout and pressed flat. T he 
number of stitches per 5 cm shall be 17±2.  DRS 442-1: 2020  
3                ©RSB2020 - All rights reserved  
 4.2 Specific requirements  
Hospitalbed sheets shall comply with requirements of table 1  when tested in accordance with the test methods 
specified therein.  
Table1 - Specific requirements  hospital bed sheets  
S/N Parameter  Requirement  Test method  
i. Fibre composition  100% cotton  Cotton/polyester  
blend a RS ISO 1833 -11 
ii. Yarn count, tex  Warp  44 44 ISO 7211 -5 
Weft  44 44 
iii. Threads count, 
threads/cm, min  Ends  27±1 27±1 ISO 7211 -2 
Picks  17±1 17±1 
iv. Mass per unit area, g/m2  254±3 254±3 ISO 3081  
v. Breaking load on 
50x200 mm, N, min  warp  600 650 RS ISO 13934 -1 
weft 500 550 
vi. Tear Resistance, N, 
min. warp  100 120 ISO 13937 -2 
weft 80 100 
vii. Dimensions, cm  Width  150 150 RS ISO 22198  
Length  255 255 
viii. Dimensional change  ±2 ±2 RS ISO 5077  
ix. pH 6-8 6-8 RS ISO 3071  
a in cotton/polyester blend, the proportion of cotton shall be 65% minimum and that of  polyester shal l be 35% 
maximum  
5 Packaging  
The hospital bed sheet s shall be packed in suitable and environmental friendly packaging material to prevent 
damage and contamination during storage and transportation.  
6 Labelling  
The hospitalbed sheet shall be labeled at one end with the following:  
a) name of the material;  
b) manufac turer’s name, address and /or trade mark;  
c) design number;  
d) dimension s;   
©RSB 2020 - All rights reserved                  4 
 e) batch or code number ; 
f) fibre composition and percentage ; and  
g) care labelling in accordance with RS ISO 3758.  
7 Sampling  
7.1 Lots  
7.1.1  The quantity of hospital cotton bed sheet of the same type and quality delivered to one buyer against 
onedispatch note shall constitute a lot . 
7.1.2  The conformity of the lot to  the requirements of this RwandaStandard shall be determined on thebasis 
of tests carried out on the samples selected from the lot  
7.1.3  The number of pieces to be selected at random from a lot shall be in accordance with the second 
column of table 2 . These pieces shall be selected from at least 10 % of the bales, an equal numberof pieces, 
as far as possible, being at random from each bale.  
Table 2 - Sample size and criteria for conformity  
S/No  Number of pieces in a lot  Samples size,  pieces  Permissible number of 
non-conforming pieces  
i.  Up to 100  10 0 
ii.  101-300 15 1 
iii.  301-500 25 1 
iv.  501-800 35 2 
v.  801-1300  50 3 
vi.  1301 and above  75 4 
 DRS 442 -1: 2020  
 
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