Combined_Syn-Sol_NIH-CC-19-001790_Hospital_Laundry_Services.docx

Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Number NIH-CC-19-001790 Research Hospital Laundry Services National Institutes of Health Clinical Center Materials Management and Environmental Services Department This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 12.6, “Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and Solicitation for Commercial Items,” as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotations are being requested, and a written solicitation document will not be issued. The solicitation is being issued using simplified acquisition procedures under the authority of FAR 13.5 Test Program for Certain Commercial Items.

The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-101 and FAC 2005-101continued, Effective 26 Oct 2018.

The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 812332, Industrial Launderers, with a small business size standard of $38.5 million.

This acquisition is set aside to small business only. Responses are due by 11:00 a.m., December 21, 2018.

Questions may be submitted by email to the Contract Specialist (Lisa.Schaupp@nih.gov) through December 13, 2018 by 5;00 p.m. E.T.. Answers will be posted by 5:00 p.m. E.T. December 14, 2018.

The National Institute of Health, Office of Purchasing and Contracts, is seeking to acquire the services of an industrial launderer to provide experienced professional laundry services for the National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center.

Services must be provided in accordance with the specifications of the Performance Work Statement (PWS). Please see the attached PWS for details of the requirement.

PRICE SCHEDULE: NOTICE FOR MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM ORDER AMOUNTS FOR THE CONTRACT ORDERING PERIOD.

The guaranteed minimum award amount for this contract is 1300 lbs. The maximum aggregate value of orders that can be placed under this contract over a 60 month period is 6,900,000 lbs. The Government does not guarantee that it will place any orders under this contract in excess of the guaranteed minimum award amount.

All small business capable and experienced contractors are invited submit offers. As one part of the offer, the contractor must provide pricing for the following Period of Performance summary of services as described in the PWS.

Ordering Period of Performance est. 2/15/2019 to 2/14/2020

Ordering Period of Performance est. 2/15/2020 to 2/14/2021

Ordering Period of Performance est. 2/15/2021 to 2/14/2022

Ordering Period of Performance est. 2/15/2022 to 2/14/2023

Ordering Period of Performance est. 2/15/2023 to 2/14/2024

TOTAL including all Option Periods

Offers pricing is firm fixed for all clean pounds.

Offerors shall provide pricing in the Pricing Table, attached 1 of the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

Laundry Services for the NIH Clinical Center Performance Work Statement

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Number NIH-CC-19-001790 Research Hospital Laundry Services iii

LAUNDRY SERVICES

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH)

CLINICAL RESEARCH CENTER (BUILDING 10), HOSPICE UNIT, THE CHILDREN’S INN, AND EDMOND J. SAFRA FAMILY LODGE

BETHESDA, MD 20892

1. GENERAL. This requirement is for Laundry Services for the NIH Clinical Center Complex tenants to include Building 10 Ambulatory Care Research Facility (ACRF), Clinical Research Center (Building 10), Hospice Unit, The Children’s Inn, and Edmund J. Safra Family Lodge. The base period of performance is 15 February 2019 through 14 February 2020 with four (4) twelve month option periods.

1.2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION. Laundry services have been provided under a Contractor Owned and Contractor Operated (COCO) facility. The Building 10 of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is located in Bethesda, Maryland. The Building 10 is the hospital of the NIH consisting of 200 inpatient beds, 81 day hospital stations, outpatient clinics, diagnostic and treatment areas, and public waiting areas. Adjacent to the hospital facilities are research laboratories. The NIH Clinical Center Complex consists of the Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center, which covers 661,600 square feet and the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center (Hatfield Center) that covers 698,263 square feet. The Magnuson Center, sometimes referred to as Building 10, is fifty years old and had a substantial addition completed in 1981, which is called the Ambulatory Care Research Facility (ACRF). The ACRF is a fourteen-floor structure, which houses clinics and research laboratories on each of twelve floors. The first and second levels of the ACRF house clinical services including diagnostic radiology, nuclear Medicine and PET, surgery, transfusion medicine and laboratory medicine. The Building 10 also operates the Operating Rooms (OR) for human surgery.

The Hatfield Center opened in 2005 and houses the inpatient units, a hospice unit with one room and two patient beds, day hospitals, additional clinics, admissions, pharmacy, social work, rehabilitation medicine departments, staff use areas, support areas as well as research laboratories. The Hatfield Center is a seven-story structure with a central large open atrium at the core of the building that connects four separate sectors that house occupants.

The Children's Inn, located in NIH Building 62, has 72 rooms with 146 double beds, 19 queen size sleepers and 30 standard size cribs. The average daily occupancy level is 80%.

The Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge (Safra Family Lodge), located in NIH Building 65, is a 34 room inn which houses families and support individuals for patients who are presently admitted to the Building 10. The average daily occupancy level is 90%.

1.3 REQUIREMENTS. The Contractor shall --

1.3.1 The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, transportation, supplies, vehicles, and facilities, except as specified herein as Government-Furnished, necessary to receive soiled linen from Building 10 (bulk laundry), Hospice Unit; which is a part of Building 10, The Children’s Inn, and Safra Family Lodge (small load laundry); transport; clean; sanitize; press; fold; bundle; hanger-rack lab coats; load; and, return linen in acceptable, cleaned condition.

The Contractor, in accordance with (IAW) this PWS, shall accomplish all work IAW: (1) current Joint Commission Manual; and (2) industry standards. The Contractor shall ensure all work meets performance standards specified in this PWS and its referenced documents. The scope of the service is for Building 10 at approximately one million three hundred thousand (1,300,000) pounds of soiled linen per year including twenty thousand (20,000) pounds of special processing items. The approximate pounds of soiled laundry for The Children’s Inn is thirty-nine thousand six hundred (39,600) pounds per year. The approximate soiled linen pounds for Safra Family Lodge is twenty-two thousand (22,000) pounds per year. The Building 10 laundry includes but is not limited to: sheets, towels, pillow cases, blankets, bed spreads, OR scrubs, lab coats, patient pajamas, bed pads, robes, wash cloths, mops (string and micro-fiber), rags, and other linen, which are to be finished in a manner to achieve the results as stated in Technical Exhibit A.

1.3.1.1 BULK LAUNDRY 24 HOUR PICK-UP/DELIVERY PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENT The temporal performance requirement for pick-up of soiled bulk laundry; transport of soiled bulk laundry to the cleaning facility; cleaning, sanitizing and packing for transport of bulk laundry; transport of cleaned, sanitized and packed bulk laundry; delivery of cleaned, sanitized and packed bulk laundry shall be: twenty-four (24) hours.

1.3.1.2 DEFINITON OF THE PICK-UP/DELIVERY FRAMEWORK OF TURNAROUND TEMPORAL PERFORMANCE REQUIRMENT The twenty-four (24) hours (cited in 1.3.1.1 above) commences when the Contractor pick-up, and transport of soiled laundry departs from the NIH main campus after leaving the loading dock of Building 10, Building 62 outside of the rear entrance, and Building 65 outside of the rear entrance.

1.3.1.3 DEFINITION OF THE CONCLUSION OF THE 24 HOUR PICK-UP/DELIVERY TURNAROUD TIMEFRAME The twenty-four (24) hour time frame concludes when the Government’s Representative confirms the receipt of a shipment of clean laundry, sanitized bulk laundry. The confirmation of the receipt of a shipment of cleaned sanitized bulk laundry is when the Government’s Representative have concluded the count of articles, weight of received shipment and the general receiving inspection of a delivery shipment for acceptance by the Government.

13.1.4 ACCESS CONTROL. NIH Main Campus. The award of this contract does not bestow a right to have access to NIH Main Campus. Unscheduled gate closures by the Security Police may occur at any time and personnel entering or leaving the main campus may experience delays. All vehicles are subject to search while on federal installations pursuant to current directives. Although delays due to the government cannot be held against the Contractor, the Contractor shall ensure his planning for pick-ups and deliveries are scheduled, so as to allow time for these inspections. Any violation of installation regulation, state or federal statue may result in the termination of the privilege to enter the NIH main campus.

1.3.1.4.1 VEHICLE ACCESS. The contractor vehicle must enter the NIH main campus through the Rockville Pike gate for the Commercial Vehicle Inspection. The cross street is Cedar Lane. This entrance is 24 hours and 365 days a year.

1.3.1.5 Building 10 ACCESS and Pickup Time. The Building 10 Laundry: Loading Dock, Building 10, Linen Service soiled linen and clean linen rooms are located on the loading dock in Room B2-C116 for soiled and Room B2-A09 for clean. The contractor shall pick up the soiled linen from the room number provided and deliver the clean linen in the room provided. Pickup and delivery will be made between 5:00 AM – 5:30 AM Monday through Saturday. The requirement (as per 1.3.1.1 above) is a for a 24 Hour Turnaround for bulk laundry at the main campus.

1.3.1.6 BUILDING 62 ACCESS and Pickup Time. The Children’s Inn Laundry: soiled and clean linen will be picked up and delivered at Building 62 outside of the rear entrance. Pickup and delivery will be made between 5:40 AM – 6:00 AM, Monday through Saturday. The requirement (as per 1.3.1.1 above) is for a 24 Hour Turnaround for bulk laundry at the main campus.

1.3.1.7 BUILDING 65 ACCESS and Pickup Time. Safra Family Lodge Laundry: soiled and clean linen will be picked up and delivered at Building 65 outside of the rear entrance. Pickup and delivery will be made between 6:10 AM – 6:30 AM, Monday through Saturday. The requirement (as per 1.3.1.1 above) is for a 24 Hour Turnaround for bulk laundry at the main campus.

1.4 ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS. The Government will inspect the documentation and records pertaining to the services provided under this contract in accordance with the inspection of services clauses. The contractor shall maintain proper documentation relating to all pick-ups, delivery, exchange, invoicing, and any other matter relating to the services provided under this contract. Document inspection may include but is not limited to weigh tickets, invoices, delivery receipts, and signatures from drop off and delivery, and any piece of linen which is deemed unserviceable or damaged while not in all items the custody of the government. Maintain a system of records as to work performed, sufficient to respond to all reasonable issues with regard to the bulk laundry inventories.

1.4.1 PERFORMANCE EVALUATION MEETINGS. The Contractor or his authorized representative shall meet with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) as deemed necessary by the Contracting Officer (CO) or the COR. A meeting shall be held whenever a Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR) is issued. The written minutes of these meetings shall be signed by the Contractor and the Contracting Officer. Should the Contractor not concur with the minutes, the Contractor shall state areas of non-concurrence in writing within two calendar weeks to the Contracting Officer. The time and place of these meetings will be designated by the Contracting Officer.

1.4.2 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR) - The Contracting Officer will appoint a COR as the overall technical representative under this contract. The limits of the COR’s authority will be described in the formal letter of delegation signed by the Contracting Officer; a copy will be provided to the contractor. Each participating tenant under this contract will have a government representative primary and alternate assigned. The government representative will be responsible for inspection and acceptance of services at the tenant level. Each participating tenant will provide the contractor with the name and contact information of the designated government representative and an alternate government representative. The Contracting Officer and COR may make unannounced visits to the Contractors facility for the purpose of inspecting quality of work, packaging, equipment operations and records.

1.4.3 QUALITY ASSURANCE EVALUATOR (QAE) – The government reserves the right to replace the government representatives with QAE for each tenant under this contract.

1.4.4 EMERGENCY CONTACT- The contractor shall provide the COR and Contracting Officer with an emergency point of contact (POC) in the Contractor’s , considered Key Personnel for this contract; who shall be available by, telephone, or cell phone number at all times, while this contract is in force. The emergency contract is for emergency and/or unforeseen contingency operations regarding the Government’s facilities; the Contractor’s facilities; the transportation systems; or any other unforeseen contingency. This emergency contact individual and their number will be distributed to all participating facilities for use only when an emergency arises. The Contractor shall maintain the capability to return the emergency call within 30 minutes of the Government’s making the emergency call.

1.5 CONTRACTOR EXPERIENCE.

1.5.1 Contractor Qualifications. The contractor shall have a minimum of five years’ experience in providing hospital and other commercial laundry services of not less than 80% in both scope and size to this requirement. The contractor shall have a work force possessing the skills, knowledge, and training to satisfactorily perform the services required by this contract. All personnel must perform the work up to the standards set forth within this contract. Personnel performing under this performance work statement shall remain Contractor employees and will not be considered Government employees. The contractor shall not employ any person who is an employee of the United States Government, if the employment of that person would create (or appear to create) a conflict of interest. All contractor staff having direct interface with employees of the government shall be able to read, write, speak and understand the English language.

1.5.2 Contractor Staff Qualifications. The Contractor shall provide all staff necessary to accomplish the work and ensure staff are properly trained to meet specified requirements of this contract. Staff having direct interface with government personnel under this contract shall be able to read, write, speak, and understand English. All contractor staff shall be legal residents of the United States.

1.5.3 Key Personnel Experience.

1.5.3.1 Program Manager – Alternate Program Manager. The Program Manager shall have at least five (5) years of experience in the management of hospital bulk laundry cleaning services. The Alternate Program Manager shall have at least three (3) years of experience in the management of hospital bulk laundry cleaning services. The contractor shall provide a Program Manager who shall be responsible for the performance of the work. The name of this person and an alternate to act for the contractor when the manager is absent shall be designated in writing to the Contracting Officer no later than the start of the contract. This Program Manager or Alternate Program Manager shall be available either in person or by telephone during normal working hours (Monday through Saturday 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM). The designation letter shall include the name of the designee(s) and phone number(s) for duty hours and after duty hours.

1.5.3.2 The Program Manager or Alternate Program Manager shall be mobilized to respond to a Government inquiry within one (1) hour during normal working hours. Either the Program Manager or the Alternate Program Manager shall at all times be available for direction of the work of the contract, and for consultation with the Government (within one (1) hour of request) when requested during normal working hours.

1.5..3.3 The Program Manager and the Alternate shall have full authority to act on behalf of the contractor on all technical requirements relating to the daily operation of this contract.

1.5.3.4 The Program Manager or Alternate shall be available during normal duty hours to meet with government personnel designated by the Contracting Officer to discuss areas of concerns as needed.

1.6 CONTRACTOR VEHICLE OPERATOR

1.6.1 Contractor personnel shall present a neat appearance and must be easily recognizable as an employee of the contractor. The contractor employees shall either wear a garment bearing the name of the individual and the contractor or an identification badge on the outer garment with the name of the individual and the contractor. This may be accomplished by wearing distinctive clothing bearing the name of the company, or by wearing appropriate badges or identification tags which contain the company name. This applies to any individuals that enter the NIH main campus under this contract.

1.6.2 Infection Control Plan and Training. Infection control is of paramount importance to NIH. Employees shall receive education and training to increase the employee's knowledge and awareness of laundry service requirements for health care service. The Contractor shall document the participation by his laundry service personnel in a relevant continuing education program. Such training will be at the expense of the CONTRACTOR.

1.6.3 Contractor Employee Compliance. The Contractor shall ensure that Contractor’s employees entering the NIH main campus observe and comply with all NIH regulations, policies and procedures concerning fire, safety, environmental protection, sanitation, security, traffic, parking, “off limits" areas, and possession of firearms or other lethal weapons.

1.7 CONTINGENCY PLAN. The contractor shall maintain a Contingency Plan. The contractor also has the responsibility of notifying the Contracting Officer, if at any time the plan is changed. The contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer of any event that jeopardizes performance under this contract. The plan shall include contingency operations for:

1.7.1 Mobilization. In the event that mobilization and services are required beyond the contractor's capability to provide services, the contractor shall advise the Contracting Officer of the capability and additional volume, which the contractor can obtain from the local civilian community. Mobilizations that extend beyond the normal contract purview may be subject to a claim by the contractor for the additional cost incurred as agreed upon by the Contracting Officer.

1.7.2 Labor Disputes. In the event of a labor dispute, the contractor's responsibility to provide the service will not be terminated. The contractor shall provide the Contracting Officer his strike or other employee job action contingency plan to continue performance of service without interruption or degradation in the quality of service. In the event of a strike or other labor dispute interference with timely contract performance, the contractor shall immediately notify the Contracting Officer and initiate action under the contingency plan.

1.7.3 Disaster. In the event of a disaster, to include but not limited to destruction of the facility, sabotage, or an act of God or nature that renders the contractor's facility unsafe, the contractor shall determine a feasible alternative method of providing services and make recommendations to the Contracting Officer.

1.8 QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM. The contractor shall establish and maintain a complete Quality Control Program (QCP) to verify the requirements of the contract are provided as specified. The contractor shall submit their Quality Control Plan with the proposal. The plan shall include procedures to implement all requirements of the contract, which shall include the processing of laundry and the following:

1.8.1 An inspection system covering all the services required by this contract which must specify the areas to be inspected on either a scheduled or unscheduled basis, how often inspection will be accomplished and documented, and the name and title of the individual who will perform the inspection (this person should be someone other than the Program Manager and does not report directly to the Program Manager).

1.8.2 The methods of identifying and preventing defects in the quality of service performed before the level of performance becomes unacceptable. This will include procedures for a method of inspection to assure proper temperatures, bleaches, bluing, chemical rinse, detergents and other additives are adhered to;

1.8.3 Records of all quality control inspections conducted by the contractor and corrective action taken to prevent continued reoccurrence of deficiencies. This documentation shall be made available to the COR or Contracting Officer during the term of the contract. The contractor shall provide its Quality Control Reports and Infection Control Reports on the last working day of each quarter, and additionally as requested, to the respective COR throughout the duration of this contract.

1.8.4 A plan to keep products segregated in accordance with their inspection status, such as accepted, rejected, set aside for re-wash, and awaiting decision, to prevent intermixing and unauthorized use.

1.8.5 A description of the methods of communications with the Government regarding performance of the contract.

1.9 EXPOSURE CONTROL PLAN and TRAINING. The contractor shall develop an Exposure Control Plan to identify, in writing, tasks, and procedures in which occupational exposure to blood occurs. The contractor shall make the plan accessible to their employees. The contractor shall train all their personnel on this plan not later than contract commencement date and not later than the first day of work for new employees.

1.10 SAFETY AND ACCIDENT PREVENTION PROGRAM. The Contractor shall describe its company’s Safety and Accident Prevention Program.

1.11 QUALITY ASSURANCE. The government may visit the contractor’s facility to observe equipment and in-process work.

1.12 PERFORMANCE EVALUATION MEETINGS. The Contractor shall meet with designated government employees during the performance of this contract as needed to discuss concerns and assess the effectiveness of the contractor’s efforts.

1.13 TEST PIECE SERVICE. The contractor shall obtain Test Piece Service from an approved laboratory. The National Association of Institutional Linen Management (NAILM), 2130 Lexington Road, Suite H, Richmond, KY 40475, and International Fabricare` Institute (IFI), 1251 Tech Road, Silver Spring, MD 20904, are two known acceptable laboratories. Should the contractor propose to obtain these services from a laboratory other than one of these two, the name and address of the proposed laboratory shall be submitted for approval to the Contracting Officer.

1.13.1 Once each quarter, the contractor shall perform washroom tests for tensile strength and whiteness retention in accordance with the laboratory instructions. Two copies of the test results shall be provided to the COR not later than five workdays from the date of receipt by the contractor from the laboratory.

1.13.2 The tensile strength is considered acceptable, if the tensile strength loss is rated at "satisfactory" or greater. The whiteness is considered acceptable, if the whiteness loss is rated "good" or greater.

1.13.3 Whenever tensile strength loss or whiteness retention deficiencies occur, the contractor shall take corrective action within five working days and retest.

1.13.4 Retest results will be forwarded immediately upon receipt to the COR for review. This process shall be repeated until tensile strength loss and whiteness retention are within prescribed tolerances, or the contractor is notified of the government's intent to terminate the contract because of unacceptable performance.

1.14 WASH FORMULAS. The wash formulas shall be in accordance with NAILM Standards and be provided to the Contracting Officer with the proposal. The Contractor shall use bacteria stat with the recommended wash formula. The wash formula shall not be changed without the COR approval.

1.15 LOST ITEMS: All lost articles/hospital medical instruments, etc., found by the contractor employees shall be placed in an envelope marked COR, and turned over to the COR the next business day.

2 DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS:

2.1 DEFINITIONS - Special terms and phrases related to the Performance Work Statement are as follows:

2.1.1 ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL) - The maximum percent defective, the maximum number of defects per 100 units or in a lot, wherein performance will still be considered satisfactory. The AQL is allowable leeway or variance from a standard before the Government will reject the line item service resulting in the issuance of a Contract Deficiency Report. An AQL does not say that the Contractor may knowingly offer defective services. It implies that the Government recognizes that defective performance sometimes happens unintentionally. As long as the defective performance does not exceed the AQL, the Government will not reject the line item service. However, the contractor shall re-perform the defective service when directed at no additional cost to the Government.

2.1.2 ADVERSE CONDITION – An item received from customer in a state beyond serviceability as determined by the Quality Assurance (QA) Inspector or government representative.

2.1.3 Reserved.

2.1.4 CLEAN - Finished linen articles that are dry, free of visible soil, lint, and objectionable odors, such as cleaning chemicals, mold, mildew, body bacteria, etc. Spots and stains are removed where practical without damaging the fabric.

2.1.5 CLEANLINESS - Item is entirely clean, thoroughly dry, and free of lint.

2.1.6 CONTAMINATED LAUNDRY - All soiled laundry originated from this requirement is categorized as contaminated. In accordance with the “Infection Control” Section (Laundry subsection) of the Joint Commission Manual, the contractor is responsible for properly handling contaminated laundry.

2.1.7 CONTRACT DISCREPANCY REPORT (CDR) - A formal, written documentation of Contractor non-conformance or lack of performance for contracted work. A CDR requires the Contractor to respond within ten working days as to the cause, corrective action, and preventive action taken. A CDR formally notifies the Contractor of unsatisfactory performance that will result in deductions unless the Contractor can provide objective evidence to mitigate these deductions.

2.1.8 CONTRACT MODIFICATION - Any written alteration in the specification, contract period, price, quantity, or other contract provisions of the existing contract.

2.1.9 CONTRACTING OFFICER - A person with the authority to enter into, administers, and/or terminates contracts and makes related findings. The Contracting Officer is the only individual who has the authority to contractually bind the Government. The Contracting Officer may designate a Government employee to act as his authorized representative. This individual shall not be authorized to award, agree to, or sign any contract or modification thereto, or in any way to obligate the payment of money by the Government.

2.1.10 CONTRACTING OFFICER REPRESENTATIVE (COR) - The person who has been designated as the authorized representative of the Contracting Officer acting within the limits of his authority. The COR can also serve as the Quality Assurance Evaluator (QAE) in the absence of the government representative or QAE. The COR advises the Contracting Officer on matters relating to this contract, verifies completion of the work, certifies invoices related to completed work, and ensures compliance with all provisions of the contract.

2.1.10.1 GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE- The designated representative for each tenant/customer. The government representative is the Quality Assurance Evaluator (QAE), or director of the tenant’s quality assurance program. The government representative reports quality of received laundry services to the COR.

2.1.11 CONTRACTOR - The Contractor as used herein refers to both the prime Contractor and any subcontractors to the Contractor. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that subcontractors comply with the provisions of the contract.

2.1.12 CORRECTIVE ACTION - Action taken by the Contractor to correct a deficiency and identify the cause(s) of the deficiency.

2.1.13 DAMAGE - A defective condition of an item due to improper processing resulting in the item being unsuitable for return to service.

2.1.14 DEDUCTION - A monetary deduction that will be subtracted from the Contractor's invoice for non-compliance to contractual/quality requirements in accordance with the Inspection Clauses in the Contract.

2.1.15 DEFECT/DEFICIENCY/DISCREPANCY - Each instance of noncompliance with a contract requirement. A deficiency may be caused by nonperformance or poor performance. Each deficiency (discrepancy) is subject to either Contractor re-performance or deductions.

2.1.16 DRY WEIGHT - Weight of cleaned, processed linen that is dry to the touch.

2.1.17 DRYNESS/SOFTNESS - Fluff dry items (Tumbled work) such as bath towels, hand towels, mattress pads, mattress covers, and blankets are completely dry and soft.

2.1.18 FINISH - Items such as shirts, trousers, utility clothing, and other wearing apparel must be machine finished, so that all surfaces are smooth and wrinkle free. There should be no rough spots. These items should retain their original shape and size. 1.17

2.1.19 FLAT WORK - Flat work finished laundry items are machine pressed, folded, and tied or wrapped in bundles. Flatwork finished articles includes sheets, pillowcases, surgical wrappers, scrub suits, tablecloths, napkins.

2.1.20 GOVERNMENTFURNISHED EQUIPMENT (GFE) - Government equipment provided to the Contractor for use in fulfilling the terms of this contract only, maintained by the Contractor, and returned to the Government at contract conclusion and/or termination in the same condition received less normal wear. These must be identified on a log maintained by COR with copy provided to the Contracting Officer and the Contractor must sign for each piece of equipment.

2.1.21 HANGERS & HANGER (BAR) CARTS – Wire or Plastic supports of linen items. Hangers shall be of sufficient strength and size to hold lab coats and or linen articles without sagging or breaking during transit or normal use. Hangers shall be of a type that does not stain garments and has no rust. Hanger Bar Carts mount hangers’ cleaned items during their carriage and transfer between the Contractor’s facilities, during their transport, and delivery to the Government’s facility.

2.1.22 HOSPITAL INFECTION CONTROL NURSE. A designated hospital staff member, responsible for monitoring the total Infection Control Program within the medical facility.

2.1.23 JOINT COMMISSION (JC) - A national organization dedicated to improving the care, safety, and treatment of patients in health care facilities, and publishers of the Joint Commission on Accreditation Manuals.

2.1.24 LAUNDERING - The process by which soiled fabric items are cleaned and treated includes cleaning by mechanical action in appropriate temperature water with solutions of detergents and other additives, ironing, and pressing. These additives include repellent treating, bleaching, bluing, rinsing, chemical rinse (sour, fabric softener, and any other agent for controlling the growth of microorganisms, such as molds and bacteria), and starching. The appropriate products and procedures are to be determined by the contractor for the various types of fabric and nature of soil.

2.1.25 LOST – Not returned within 24 hours of scheduled delivery date.

2.1.26 LOT - The total number of service outputs in a surveillance period, as defined in the Acceptable Quality Level column of the Performance Requirements Summary.

2.1.27 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY (PRS) - Identifies the key service outputs of the contract that will be evaluated by the Government to ensure the Contractor meets contract performance standards.

2.1.28 PLANNED SAMPLING - A method of looking at a subjectively determined number of items in a lot, to form general conclusions about the quality of that lot against a standard.

2.1.29 PLASTIC WRAP - Plastic wrap shall be of sufficient strength to hold linen without bursting or tearing during transit and normal handling.

2.1.30 PROCESSING – All soil, spots, and stains are removed during laundering without damage to fabric.

2.1.31 QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA) - A method used by the government to ensure services meets the requirements of the contract.

2.1.32 QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP) - A written plan that details what is to be evaluated, how evaluations are to be accomplished, frequency of evaluations, evaluation parameters, sampling guides inspection checklists, and other information that the COR should have to provide effective QA.

2.1.33 QUALITY CONTROL PLAN - this document is to be submitted to the Government with respect to controlling quality by the Contractor.

2.1.34 QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM (QCP) - The Contractor’s system to control the equipment, systems, or services to ensure that requirements of the contract are performed.

2.1.35 QUALITY CONTROL - Those actions taken by the Contractor to control the production of goods or services so they meet the specifications and requirements of the contract.

2.1.36 RANDOM SAMPLE - A sampling method where each service output in a lot has an equal chance of being selected.

2.1.37 RANDOM NUMBER TABLE - A table of numbers arranged in a random fashion. The table is used to identify random samples for Quality Assurance.

2.1.38 RANDOM SAMPLING - A method of looking at a few individual items in a lot to determine the quality of that lot against a standard.

2.1.39 REPAIRABLE ITEMS – Articles with minor rips, tears (less than four inches), open seams, holes, missing buttons, and broken zippers.

2.1.40 ROUGH FINISHED ARTICLES - Includes bath towels, blankets, bathrobes, pajamas, gowns, linen bags, infant linen, wash cloths, re-usable under pads, and mop heads.

2.1.41 SAMPLE - One or more service outputs drawn from a lot. The number of outputs in the sample is the sample size.

2.1.42 SAMPLING GUIDE - The part of the QASP that contains the information needed to perform a random sample.

2.1.43 SAMPLING PLAN - A Government plan which indicates the AQL, the number of units from each lot which are to be inspected (sample size), and criteria for determining acceptability of the lot (acceptance and rejection numbers). It is used to develop the sampling guide.

2.1.44 SANITIZED. Articles made free of dirt, filth, bacteria, and other foreign agents that may or will endanger health or cause infection, illness, or disease.

2.1.45 SMELL – Articles are sanitized, free of objectionable odors to include no trace of washroom supplies left in fabrics.

2.1.46 SPECIAL WASH – Special wash items are defined as items that have been stained while in the government’s possession and will need special attention.

2.1.47 STANDARD OF PERFORMANCE - The desired value or measure of a performance indicator.

2.1.48 STARCHED AND FINISHED ARTICLES - There is no government requirement.

2.1.49 SURVEILLANCE - Planned or random observations of the timeliness, accuracy, completeness, and/or quality of services performed.

2.1.50 TAILS - A condition created when flatwork is not folded evenly with the corners not meeting each other.

2.1.51 UNSERVICEABLE ARTICLES - No longer usable or repairable for purpose intended.

2.1.52 WEIGHT OF ARTICLES - Unsorted laundry delivered to the Contractor in bags/lose for which the Contractor shall bid and be reimbursed based on price per pound clean dry weight.

2.1.53 WHITENESS/COLOR – White fabrics are sparkling white, and free of yellow and gray tints, or any other unsightly appearance. Colors are bright and clear.

2.2 ACRONYMS. Commonly used acronyms are listed below.

3 GOVERNMENTFURNISHED PROPERTY AND SERVICES

3.1 Forms and Publications. The Government will provide authorized copies of forms, publications, and services specifically identified in this contract. All commercial, industry publications related to the performance of laundry service shall be provided by the Contractor.

3.2 Carts, Soiled and Clean Linen. See Technical Exhibit D. The government will also provide laundry bags (impervious) for contaminated linen. By definition, soiled laundry is to be deemed contaminated.

3.2.1 Container for Mops. The government will provide two containers, two locks and two keys for clean mops. The COR will provide the contractor with a key for the lock. See Technical Exhibit D

3.3 Inventory Data Sheet. The Government can provide inventory data when requested for information purposes only.

3.4 Scales. The Government has three scales for government use only; which is located on the loading dock for the Building 10, Room B2-A09. Building 62 and Building 65 scales will be located inside of the buildings. The government representative at each building will weigh the soiled and clean linen and attached the printout from the scales to the soiled and clean carts, and provide the driver with a copy the next working day. The printout will include the tare weights of each cart and the actual weight of the contents. All Government-owned scales will be calibrated twice a year with a copy of the results provided to the contractor.

4 CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS. In addition to items specified elsewhere in the contract, the contractor shall furnish:

4.1 The Contractor shall provide all property or services necessary for the performance of this contract that is not specifically identified as furnished by the Government. Such property or services shall include, but is in no way limited to facilities, tools, bundle tie machine, materials, equipment, (such as soaps, detergents, bleaches, starches, sizing, spotting agents, hangers, plastic, and packaging materials), and copier paper.

4.2 The contractor shall provide their employees all appropriate protective clothing as required by OSHA.

4.3 The contractor shall provide, or cause to be provided, all Pick-up and Delivery Vehicles and vehicle drivers.

4.4 The contractor shall provide hangers and a bar cart for delivery of lab coats.

4.5 The Contractor shall provide a packing slip type document for each clean laundry cart delivered. This document shall identify the contents on the cart for Building 10 and Hospice Unit, and shall identify the contents on the cart and by item count for each type item on the car for building 62 and building 65. The contractor shall wrap all clean linen carts in clear plastic.

4.6 The Contractor shall provide a facility equipped and ventilated to prevent dissemination of contaminants. The ventilation system shall include adequate intake filtration, exchange rate, and exhaust in accordance with local, state, and federal requirements. (Reference: Joint Commission Accreditation Manual for Hospitals).

4.7 The Contractor shall provide access to the COR and Government representatives to inspect the laundry facility to verify the sanitary conditions contained therein at any time by its authorized representatives.

5 SPECIFIC TASKS. The following tasks are to be performed by the contractor:

5.1 Annual Linen Inventory. The contractor shall assist the government in conducting a linen inventory (every 6 months) to be performed on Friday and Saturday in March and September. The COR will provide the Contractor at least three weeks advance written notice prior to the actual inventory. Such assistance shall include providing expedited service to enable return of all items being processed, counting, inventorying items in the plant, and completing inventory forms and documents. The contractor shall report such findings to the COR.

5.1.1 Ticketing. The contractor shall supply at no cost to the government, serially numbered delivery tickets in duplicate for use in listing items and the number of articles or weight of articles to be laundered. The delivery tickets shall indicate the following information (1) Contract number; (2) List of all types of laundry to be serviced; (3) the number or weight of pieces to be serviced.

5.2 Separating Repairable and Unserviceable Articles. The Contractor shall wash and dry all unserviceable articles and return in separate bundles clearly marked "UNSERVICEABLE" to each delivery location. Unserviceable linen includes those items that are not deemed repairable. Depending on severity, this may include rips, tears, holes, broken buttons or snaps, excessive stains, or excessive wear and tear. The government will determine the final disposition of these articles. Unserviceable items due to laundry machine malfunction, using wrong wash formulas, or excessive drier heat or any other damage or loss done at the laundry facility shall be replaced at contractor's expense. Linen gathered for pick up from the various facilities shall not be intermingled.

5.3 Dye Articles. Upon COR request, the contractor shall dye the Clinical Research Center and Hospice Unit, Building 10 unserviceable articles khaki and return in separate bundles. These articles shall not be allowed to accumulate at the contractor's facility. The estimated amount is 6,500 pounds annually for Building 10 and 1,300 pounds annually for both Building 62 and Building 65. The contractor shall turn over the dye articles to the government representative on a quarterly basis, during the first week of each quarter.

5.4 Clean Laundry Each item shall be clean, dry, and free of lint, scorch marks, and other damage to the fabric.

5.5 White fabrics shall be white and free of yellow, green or gray tints. Colors shall be bright and clear.

5.6 The contractor shall ensure the laundry processing chain is arranged, so that there is no contact between soiled and cleaned sanitized bulk laundry. There shall be no interchange of personnel between the handling/processing of clean sanitized and soiled, laundry unless they are properly attired. The linen shall be handled with minimum shaking and agitating.

5.7 Shrinkage shall be no more than what may be termed as "natural" for the fabric in accordance with best commercial practice. The contractor shall treat all articles in such a manner as to keep the dimensional changes of the article to a minimum and to avoid damage of any kind to the fabric. The contractor shall follow care instructions on labels in all articles. If manufacturer's care instructions are not included in an article, the contractor shall request such instructions from the COR.

5.8 All tumbled work linen shall be completely dry and soft.

5.9 Items processed on flatwork and irons, such as sheets, pillowcases, and tablecloths shall be machine-finished so the surfaces are smooth and without "rough-dry" spots, wrinkles, or "tails". When received by the customer, flatwork shall be free of creases caused by improper folding. See Technical Exhibit B - Method of Finish.

5.10 Finish Work. The contractor shall assemble completed work and return as indicated in Technical Exhibit A. The contractor shall ensure strict segregation of articles is maintained as specified for the NIH Building 10 Building 10, The Children’s Inn Building 62 and Safra Family Lodge Building 65.

5.11 Medical Items Requiring Special Handling. The contractor shall receive unsorted and contaminated linen in government provided linen bags/loose in a soiled cart. Separate containers shall be used for transporting clean linen and soiled linen. The same carts may be used provided the carts are cleaned and disinfected for each use and a clean sanitized liner is used. All clean linen carts shall be wrapped in clear plastic. The contractor shall transport all clean mops in a separate locked clean container.

5.12 Workmanship and Sanitation. Finished articles shall conform to the generally accepted industry standards for quality of cleanliness, finish, and appearance. All work performed shall be done under sanitary conditions and in accordance with OSHA standards. The items shall be clean, not only in the sense of being free from soil, stains, and objectionable odors, but also free from excess cleaning chemicals, bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms, including pathogens or disease-producing organisms, which might cause irritation to the skin. Cotton and polyester blended articles shall be laundered with an ionizing agent to prevent static electricity build-up.

5.13 OSHA Blood borne Pathogens Standards. The contractor shall comply with all standards in OSHA Blood borne Pathogens Standard 29 CFR 1910.1030.

5.14 Re-performance of Laundering. Notwithstanding the provisions of this contract covering inspection, acceptance, and deduction from payment, any items found not meeting the requirements of the PWS shall be re-cleaned at no additional cost to the government. Such items found as packages are opened by the customer will be identified by the COR to the contractor's representative after the unsatisfactory condition is discovered. After they are re-cleaned, the contractor shall pack these items separately and identify by marking “Attention COR".

5.15 PICK-UP &DELIVERY The following procedure shall be used for weighing all linen picked-up to include Specialty Items.

5.15.1 The government representative will use government owned scales at all locations to weigh soiled and clean linen and printout a copy of the weights; which includes the tare weight of the cart, and place it on each soiled and clean linen carts. The COR will have all scales calibrated annually and provide the contractor with a copy of the results.

5.15.2 Contractor shall weigh all soiled and clean linen at their facility, using their own scale. The Contractor shall print the weight of the soiled and clean linen, record the results, which shall include the cart tare weight on the government provided tally sheet, retain a copy of the poundage, and provide the completed tally sheet and a copy of the printout to the government representative and COR.

5.15.3 The contractor shall have their scale calibrated semi-annually and provide the COR with the results.

5.15.3 New Linen. The government representative at all three locations will count the new linen and record the quantity on a slip; which indicates the name of the item and quantity, then place the slip in the black plastic bag; then into a soiled laundry cart. If the size of the new linen is too large for a plastic bag, then a laundry cart will be used and the new linen info will be taped to the laundry cart. The government representative will weigh the new linen as part of the soiled linen and place the weight printout on the soiled laundry cart.