From the Sector

Universal Linen Service of Louisville, KY, has earned the Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification, reflecting their commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and their capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing. Universal Linen Service is an independently-owned and operated linen service provider that serves all markets.

The Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification confirms the organization’s continuing dedication to infection prevention, compliance with recognized industry standards and processing healthcare textiles using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, a focal point for Hygienically Clean inspectors’ evaluation. The independent, third-party inspection must also confirm essential evidence that:

• Employees are properly trained and protected
• Managers understand regulatory requirements
• OSHA-compliant
• Physical plant operates effectively

To achieve certification initially, laundries pass three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean Healthcare textiles and diminished presence of yeast, mold and harmful bacteria. They also must pass a facility inspection. To maintain their certification, they must pass quarterly testing to ensure that as laundry conditions change, such as water quality, textile fabric composition and wash chemistry, laundered product quality is consistently maintained. Re-inspection occurs every two to three years.

This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for hospitals, surgery centers, medical offices, nursing homes and other medical facilities.

Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification acknowledges laundries’ effectiveness in protecting healthcare operations by verifying quality control procedures in linen, uniform and facility services operations related to the handling of textiles containing blood and other potentially infectious materials.

Certified laundries use processes, chemicals and BMPs acknowledged by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, American National Standards Institute and others. Introduced in 2012, Hygienically Clean Healthcare brought to North America the international cleanliness standards for healthcare linens and garments used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization.

Objective experts in epidemiology, infection control, nursing and other healthcare professions work with Hygienically Clean launderers to ensure the certification continues to enforce the highest standards for producing clean healthcare textiles.

“Congratulations to Universal Linen Service on their certification,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “This achievement proves their commitment to infection prevention and that their laundry takes every step possible to prevent human illness.”

From 4 – 6 September, leading innovations and technologies from around the world will feature in the Shanghai New International Expo Centre for Cinte Techtextil China 2018. With a growing technical textile market in China and Asia, big industry names will come to showcase new products. The Belgium, Germany and Taiwan Pavilions are predicted to draw a crowd with their return, while the Czech Republic Pavilion makes its debut appearance.

Fresh innovation from the Taiwan Pavilion
The Taiwan Pavilion lives up to its reputation as one of the leading sources of industry innovation. Ten exhibitors in the Taiwan Pavilion will showcase a variety of innovations ideal for a number of industries. With advances in medical and hygiene product technologies, exhibitors Web-Pro Corporation will offer protective cover-all materials that resist pathogens and micro-organisms and multi-layered PE films for hygiene products, while Kae Hwa Industrial will introduce their developments in materials that protect against viruses. Four Elements Energy Biotechnology will showcase their multi-functional Masterbatch product, a unique FDA-qualified, anti-mildew and transparent plastic additive that repels bacteria.

Other exhibitors to watch out for in the Taiwan Pavilion include Ritex Machinery, who will display their Air Through machinery which can be applied to nonwoven fabrics for hygienic, medical and filtration uses. Everlight Chemical Industrial’s Evereco® adhesives introduce an eco-friendly solution with heat-resistance and other resilient properties. Also offering eco-friendly alternatives is TomLong Techstile and their TPU coated fabrics, ideal for waterproof and inflatable products.

Productivity and efficiency at the German Pavilion
Following high demand in the Chinese market, the German Pavilion returns with around 30 exhibitors, showcasing their expertise in efficiency in textile production. Highlights include Baumüller Nürnberg’s modular concepts and intelligent automations which allow flexible reactions to changeable market requirements. Edelmann Technology brings new high speed winder systems for increased production rates and new concepts for reducing contamination in products. ISRA Surface Vision will present 100% inline optical surface inspection methods for quality control and process optimisations. Another product to watch out for is Kufner’s xShield®, a lightweight, soft textile with 99% shielding efficiency against electromagnetic radiation.

Other big names in the German Pavilion include Autefa Solutions, Brückner Textile Technologies, Dornier Lindauer, IBENA, J.H. Ziegler, Kufner, Perlon and more.

Belgium Pavilion returns along with a Czech Republic debut
Organised by Fedustria (Belgian Textile, Woodworking and Furniture Industry Federation), the Belgium Pavilion will include textile recycling company Belrey Fibres, engineered fabrics by Pennel & Flipo for marine and rescue industries, as well as leading coating specialists Vetex who will feature a variety of functional tapes, and R&D institute Centexbel who carry out research projects across the entire textile and polymer production chain.

The new Czech Republic Pavilion organised by ATOK, the Association of Textile-Clothing–Leather Industry, will showcase three exhibitors who will provide solutions for technical yarn, fabric processing and nonwoven fabrics. These include: GF Machinery, showcasing R&D and production of special machines and lines for glass / basalt yarn and fabric processing; Retex’s nonwoven needle-punched and air laid textiles; and STAP, Europe’s biggest manufacturer of narrow fabrics.

The Cinte Techtextil China fair is recognised by European manufacturers as a gateway to the Asian market. With investment from China boosting the technical textile industry, and more Asian countries than ever developing their technical markets, Cinte Techtextil China 2018 is set to be a hub of business potential.

California Linen Services of Pasadena, Calif. has been recertified Clean Green, reflecting the company’s dedication to standards for operational efficiency and sustainability. The certification quantifies linen, uniform and facility services’ environmentally friendly performance by confirming an operation launders within TRSA-designated water and energy use thresholds; and verifies use of best management practices (BMPs) in line with the ASTM International environmental laundering standard.
 
California Linen Service’s customers can be assured their reusable healthcare textiles are washed, dried and finished with processes that maximize sustainability and reduce greenhouse emissions. Clean Green certified operations demonstrate significant commitment to conservation and green operations through these BMPs:

• Recovering heat from drained hot water and heat dispersed from the process of warming water
• Recapturing drained water from rinses for reuse
• Using environmentally friendly detergents
• Removing solids and liquids from wastewater
• Solar energy and energy-efficient lighting
• Recycling programs
• Re-routing trucks to save vehicle fuel
• Spill prevention plans

California Linen Service earned the Clean Green certification initially in 2015. The designation is valid for three years at a time. TRSA inspects laundry facilities seeking certification and approves documentation of their water and energy use and BMP deployment through production reports they submit to auditors during the inspections. TRSA’s certification management protocol includes auditor training by the association’s inspection program administrator.
Clean Green aligns with the ASTM International standard, Guide for Sustainable Laundry Practices, which recognizes key criteria for the certification as universal indicators of maximum sustainability in commercial laundry work. ASTM’s review of TRSA BMPs verified these as the most effective and practical techniques for a laundry to achieve green objectives.
TRSA members prompted development of the standard, which was vetted in the sustainability subcommittee of the ASTM Committee on Textiles. Top technical experts, scientists and environmental professionals from outside the linen, uniform and facility services industry reviewed the BMPs. ASTM is the global leader in developing and delivering voluntary consensus standards unparalleled in building consumer confidence in product and service quality.
 
“I applaud California Linen Services for their ongoing sustainability efforts and maintaining the highest standards in their production and delivery operations,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “Meeting all the criteria for certification is not easy, but the company is committed to industry-leading processes and technologies.”

Business networking event on the future of leather interiors

Lectra, the technological partner for companies using fabrics and leather, welcomed guests from all areas of the automotive leather supply chain at its International Advanced Technology Center (IATC) in Bordeaux-Cestas, France, for two action-packed days of demonstrations, workshops and talks by industry experts during the fourth annual “Go Digital” automotive leather event.
Building on the previous editions’ themes of digitalization of manufacturing processes and the adoption of Industry 4.0 principles, this year’s presentations focused on the value creation enabled by leveraging manufacturing data. A showcase for the innovative applications Lectra is developing based on Industry 4.0 principles, the company’s trade gathering demonstrated how disruptive new technologies are enhancing the onboard experience while reorganizing the automotive interiors supply chain.

Several guest speakers provided insight into the ways industry megatrends are impacting the automotive cockpit of the future. As motorized vehicles become increasingly autonomous, connected and electrified, cementing their place in the shared mobility landscape, suppliers must now devise new strategies to achieve profitable growth. Traditional business models are losing ground to cross-functional collaboration partnerships, making it even more challenging to compete in the fast-moving connected, shared economy.
“It is disruptive for the entire automotive supply chain,” remarks Nathalie Saint Martin, Vice President, Group Purchasing, Faurecia. “We are all learning to evolve together and enhance the added value to our end-customers. The level of collaboration we are now seeing among suppliers is unprecedented.”

Other keynote speeches included market research consultancy Frost & Sullivan’s analysis of automotive trends in the data-driven economy, Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) specialist Bureau Veritas’ vision of data protection for automotive and a presentation of industry insights firm WardsAuto’s selection of top 10 best vehicle interiors of 2018.
The event enables a diverse array of supply chain players in automotive interiors to gather with their peers. "Events like this one are a great opportunity to talk face-to-face with other suppliers about industry-wide challenges,” notes Claus Lattner, Director Engineering, Process Management, CoC Cut Sew Wrap Global, Yanfeng Automotive Interiors. “It is not often we find ourselves in the same room to talk about consumer perception and the sustainability of leather, for instance."

“The event provided a great opportunity to interact with suppliers who have a direct impact on innovation in interior design and manufacturing,” said John Sousanis, Managing Director of Wards Intelligence.
For Javier Garcia, Senior Vice-President, Automotive Sales, Lectra, bringing together the automotive leather community is especially important as it rises to new business challenges stemming from continually changing consumer habits and the digitalization of manufacturing processes. “Connectivity and occupant comfort are increasing the amount of high-tech content in automotive interiors, but the up-market appeal of leather makes it a constant,” states Javier Garcia. “By fostering exchange, Lectra is doing its part to help the automotive leather ecosystem evolve to meet new consumer expectations.”

TRSA, the global association for the linen, uniform and facility services industry, and the creator and administrator of the Hygienically Clean Certification announced today its 2018 Hygienically Clean Healthcare Advisory Board slate of members.

“The board is responsible for administering, enforcing, and revising TRSA’s Hygienically Clean Healthcare (HCH) Standards. Additional duties include establishing and maintaining criteria and procedures for the certification of healthcare textile processing in commercial, cooperatives, and in-house healthcare laundries and facilities. These subject matter experts will provide guidance regarding best management practices (BMPs), inspections and testing to ensure that the Hygienically Clean Healthcare Certification Program benefits consumers, laundry-processing facilities and textile services customers,” said Joseph Ricci, President and CEO of TRSA.

Members of the newly formed board of directors, who represent the entire industry -- linen, uniform and facility service companies, large central laundries, healthcare linen, uniform and facility services customers of TRSA members, suppliers, and experts from related healthcare and other professional organizations -- will serve a three-year term:

Randy Bartsch
CEO, Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service Inc.
Chairman

Rick Kislia
Chief Operating Officer
Crescent Laundry
Vice Chairman

David J. Stern
President & CEO, Paris Companies
Secretary

Greg Anderson
CEO, Campus Laundry

Angela Becker
Senior Program Leader, Textile Care RD&E, Ecolab

Murray L. Cohen, PhD, MPH, CIH
Owner, Consultants in Disease and Injury Control (CDIC)

Dr. Alexis M. Elward, MD
Pediatric Infectious Disease
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Eoin Flavin
Director, European Operations, WSI

David F. Goldsmith, MSPH, PhD, LLC
George Washington & Georgetown Universities

James Hall
CEO, Northwest Health Care Linen

Tony Long
VP, Risk Management, Angelica
Lynn A. Moreau, RN, BSN
Clinical Liaison Manager
HandCraft Linen Services

Michael Potack
Chairman, Unitex

Robert Raphael
Co-President
Service Linen Supply Inc.

Liz Remillong
Vice President, Strategic Alliance
Crothall Healthcare

Douglas Waldman
President, Superior Linen Service

Charles Rossmiller
Director Laundry Programs
Textile Sales
Medline Industries, Inc.

Thomas Smith
Director, Safety & Training
Foussard Montague Associates, Inc.

• Emphasis on Process, Third-party Validation and Outcome-based Testing

ALEXANDRIA, Va., February 16, 2018 —Kansas City, Mo.-based Superior Linen Supply has again achieved Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification, reflecting their commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and their capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing.

The laundry was first certified in 2014. Recertification confirms the organization’s continuing dedication to infection prevention, compliance with recognized industry standards and processing healthcare textiles using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, a focal point for Hygienically Clean inspectors’ evaluation. The independent, third-party inspection must also confirm essential evidence that:

• Employees are properly trained and protected
• Managers understand regulatory requirements
• OSHA-compliant
• Physical plant operates effectively

To achieve certification initially, laundries pass three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean Healthcare textiles and diminished presence of yeast, mold and harmful bacteria. They also must pass a facility inspection. To maintain their certification, they must pass quarterly testing to ensure that as laundry conditions change, such as water quality, textile fabric composition and wash chemistry, laundered product quality is consistently maintained. Re-inspection occurs every two to three years.

This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for hospitals, surgery centers, medical offices, nursing homes and other medical facilities.

Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification acknowledges laundries’ effectiveness in protecting healthcare operations by verifying quality control procedures in linen, uniform and facility services operations related to the handling of textiles containing blood and other potentially infectious materials.

Certified laundries use processes, chemicals and BMPs acknowledged by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, American National Standards Institute and others. Introduced in 2012, Hygienically Clean Healthcare brought to North America the international cleanliness standards for healthcare linens and garments used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization.

Objective experts in epidemiology, infection control, nursing and other healthcare professions work with Hygienically Clean launderers to ensure the certification continues to enforce the highest standards for producing clean healthcare textiles.

“Congratulations to Superior Linen Supply on their recertification,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “This achievement proves their ongoing commitment to infection prevention and that their laundry takes every step possible to prevent human illness.”

Up To Date Laundry, Baltimore, has again achieved Hygienically Clean (HC) Healthcare certification, reflecting their commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and their capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing.
Up-To-Date was first certified in 2014. Recertification confirms the organization’s continuing dedication to infection prevention, compliance with recognized industry standards and processing healthcare textiles using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, a focal point for Hygienically Clean inspectors’ evaluation. The independent, third-party inspection must also confirm essential evidence that:
• Employees are properly trained and protected
• Managers understand regulatory requirements
• OSHA-compliant
• Physical plant operates effectively

To achieve certification initially, laundries pass three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean Healthcare textiles and zero presence of yeast, mold and harmful bacteria. They also must pass a facility inspection. To maintain their certification, they must pass quarterly testing to ensure that as laundry conditions change, such as water quality, textile fabric composition and wash chemistry, laundered product quality is consistently maintained. Re-inspection occurs every two to three years.
This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for hospitals, surgery centers, medical offices, nursing homes and other medical facilities.

Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification acknowledges laundries’ effectiveness in protecting healthcare operations by verifying quality control procedures in linen, uniform and facility services operations related to the handling of textiles containing blood and other potentially infectious materials.
Certified laundries use processes, chemicals and BMPs acknowledged by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, American National Standards Institute and others. Introduced in 2012, Hygienically Clean Healthcare brought to North America the international cleanliness standards for healthcare linens and garments used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization.
Objective experts in epidemiology, infection control, nursing and other healthcare professions work with Hygienically Clean launderers to ensure the certification continues to enforce the highest standards for producing clean healthcare textiles.
“Congratulations to Up To Date Laundry on their recertification,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “This achievement proves their ongoing commitment to infection prevention and that their laundry facilities take every step possible to prevent human illness.”

With seven more laundries certified this month, UniFirst Corp. has widened its lead among multi-location uniform service companies in achieving the Hygienically Clean Food Safety designation, as 30 facilities now have reached this milestone. The July additions included the company’s first such achievements in Nevada, New York and Wisconsin after UniFirst plants were already certified in 16 states and the Canadian province of British Columbia.
This achievement reflects UniFirst’s commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by third-party on-site inspection and their capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing.

The certification confirms a laundry’s dedication to compliance and processing garments and other textile products using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, the focal point for TRSA inspectors’ evaluation of critical control points that minimize risk.
This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for servicing animal processing, dairies, fruit/vegetable, bakeries, grain and other food and beverage industry segments.
UniFirst facilities certified in July are in Ontario, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Buffalo, NY; Amarillo, Austin and Houston, TX; and Wisconsin Rapids, WI. States with previously Hygienically Clean Food Safety certified UniFirst laundries (one each except where noted) are CA (2) CO, CT, FL (2), GA, MA, MD, NC (4), NH (2), NJ, OK, PA, SC, TX (5), UT and VA.

The certification confirms the organization’s continuing dedication to infection prevention, compliance with recognized industry standards and processing healthcare textiles using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, a focal point for Hygienically Clean inspectors’ evaluation. The independent, third-party inspection must also confirm essential evidence that: • Employees are properly trained and protected
• Managers understand regulatory requirements
• OSHA-compliant
• Physical plant operates effectively
The Memphis laundry was first certified in 2014. AmeriPride has other U.S. Hygienically Clean Healthcare certified facilities in Little Rock, Ark.; Phoenix; Watkinsville, Ga.; Topeka, Kan.; Bemidji, Minneapolis and Twin Falls, Minn.; Springfield, Mo.; Omaha, Neb.; and Lubbock, Texas. The company’s Canadian Linen and Uniform Service facility in Lethbridge, Alberta, is also Hygienically Clean Healthcare certified.
Certified facilities pass three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean Healthcare textiles and zero presence of yeast, mold and harmful bacteria. To maintain their certification, laundry plants must pass quarterly testing to ensure that as laundry conditions change, such as water quality, textile fabric composition and wash chemistry, laundered product quality is consistently maintained.
This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for hospitals, surgery centers, medical offices, nursing homes and other medical facilities.

TRSA has upgraded its inspection management protocol for Clean Green and Hygienically Clean certifications, appointing an inspection program administrator and auditor to train and administer the inspection process and inspector training.
This enhances TRSA’s well-established reputation for expertise, consistency and impartiality for all applicant laundry companies and plants when inspectors verify their adherence to best management practices (BMPs). It also adds a highly expert third party to oversee the inspection program. It aligns with ISO quality management system (QMS) standards for assessing laundry applicants’ quality assurance practices and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans.

Laundry Design Group, LLC, Las Vegas, Nevada was selected as inspection program administrator after considering several firms, acknowledged for excellence in evaluating businesses’ QA guideline compliance. Bob Corfield, the firm’s CEO, has over 30 years’ industry experience, five performing inspections for Clean Green and Hygienically Clean. Corfield is a certified ISO QMS Lead Auditor with a HACCP designation.
As chief inspector and program administrator, Corfield identifies, administers and trains the independent inspector team. Each inspector enters a comprehensive training program including certification standards review, evidence collection procedures, interview protocol, ATP (work surface) testing, technology use, HACCP compliance and sample collection procedures. Training also focuses on educating inspectors regarding acceptable approaches launderers can take to implement BMPs. Each inspector must agree to a code of ethics including confidentiality and conflict of interest statements.
The inspection program is deployed on an iPad application that all inspectors must use for note-taking, evidence collection, and inspection scoring. This creates consistency from inspection to inspection and inspector to inspector. Inspectors’ reports are disseminated within hours of each inspection for lead audit review and discussion if required.