P09 - SOW - Laundry _ Linen Services - VAPHS.docx

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

VA PITTSBURGH HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

LAUNDRY & LINEN SERVICES

STATEMENT OF WORK

A. General Requirements

1. Scope of Work

The contractor shall furnish all personnel, equipment, facilities, transportation, supplies, linens, textiles, and supervision except as specified herein as Government-Furnished Property, to provide laundry services, including pickup and delivery. This contract includes all functions, tasks, and responsibilities normally inherent to a hospital laundry facility. The Contractor shall establish and maintain a system of records to control, account, and report work performed.

All work under this contract shall be accomplished in accordance with current (a) Joint Commission on Hospital Accreditation Standards (JHACO), (b) the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-care Facilities (c) Occupational Safety and Health Administration Standards (OSHA) and (d) any other applicable Federal, State, and local regulations and guidelines.

All workmanship shall be in accordance with practices established by the Association for Linen Management (ALM), Dry Cleaning and Laundry Institute, International Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA), and accepted industry standards. Performance shall be in accordance with the scope of this Statement of Work (SOW) and other specifications or provisions of the contract. Service shall be provided at three (3) locations within the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS). The locations are the University Drive hospital, the University Drive Fisher House, and the H.J. Heinz Delafield Road in Pittsburgh, PA.

B. Performance Period:

The Government intends to award of a 5-Year, Firm Fixed-Price, Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity (ID-IQ) contract.

C. Contractor Experience and Personnel

1. Personnel

The contractor shall provide a point of contact that shall be responsible for the performance of the work. The name of this person and an alternate who shall act for the contractor when the primary is absent shall be designated in writing to the contracting officer, no later than the start of the contract.

The On-Site Manager (s) shall be certified by Association of Linen and Laundry Management (ALM), Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) or, graduate of an accredited, independently controlled management-accredited University or College training program emphasizing institutional laundry. The formal course and/or higher-level education must have been previously established and official paper copy of certifications or educational documentation provided to Contracting Officer’s representative (COR). The contractor’s On-Site Manager shall provide all continuing education required hours to maintain active credentials from the issuing authority such as ALM or TRSA. The contractor (s) on site manager (s) minimum achievement level is CLLM-Certified Laundry and Linen Manager credential. The minimal achievement level is TRSA- Certified Professional Laundry Manager (CPLM).

The point of contact and the alternate shall have full authority to act on behalf of the contractor on all contract matters relating to the daily operation of this contract.

The point of contact and alternate must be able to read, write, speak, and understand English well enough to satisfy all contract performance requirements.

The contract point of contact and alternate shall be available during normal duty hours within 60 minutes to meet in person or by phone with Government personnel designated by the contracting officer to discuss problem areas.

When on VA premises, the Contractor personnel shall present a neat appearance and must be recognizable as an employee of 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.

The Contractor shall ensure that all operators of Contractor-owned vehicles possess evidence of insurance and a valid state permit to operate the vehicles under their control.

2. Security Requirements

Unaccompanied access to VAPHS buildings beyond the dock area is not authorized without written consent from Government personnel. All personnel entering the medical facility must notify the COR.

Removal of contract employee. The Government reserves the right to require immediate temporary or permanent removal from hospital premises of any individual whose actions raise reasonable suspicion that patient care or services may be compromised in any way or that pose a threat of harm to other contractor/Government personnel or self in accordance with VA policy. The employee may be required to submit to drug/alcohol testing. The Government reserves the right to require temporary or permanent removal of any individual who refuses testing. Notification of all removals will be made by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). Removal of any individual does not relieve the contractor of any performance requirement.

D. Contractor Laundry Facilities

The laundry facility shall be designed, equipped, and ventilated (a) for efficient production of hygienically cleaned textiles and (b) to minimize the potential dissemination of microbial contaminants that are external (e.g., dust and dirt) and internal (e.g., soiled laundry, contaminated lint) to the facility.

The laundry contractor has procedures in place and enforces procedures to restrict the employee traffic moving from one part of the facility to the other such as physical separation barriers and contractor policy enforcement actualizing the physical separation of clean from soiled sides of the production plant.

The ventilation system shall include adequate intake, filtration, exchange rate, and exhaust in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations. Clean area shall maintain a positive air pressure in relation to adjacent area.

The contractor processing facility where this requirement is to be performed shall be located within a 120-mile radius from the VAPHS.

E. Performance

1. Inventory

Par level is used to describe the quantity of each textile item soiled and returned for processing in a 24-hour period. The estimated par levels can be found on Attachment #1. These quantities are based on historical usage of the various linens at the VAPHS. The Contract shall deliver sufficient inventory by the end of business on Fridays to maintain par levels during the weekend and shall except shipment on Mondays for all linens used over the weekends.

Total System Inventory is used to describe the system wide quantity of each linen or textile item in-process, in-use, in transit, storage, etc. The Contractor shall maintain a total system inventory for each linen item of a minimum of seven (7) days. There shall be at least one par level on the bed or in use by customers, two par levels on VAPHS’s shelves, one par level arriving on station, one par level in the wash/processing system, one par being picked up and cleaned and one par in our dirty linen area ready for pick up. The VA shall not accept inventory for delivery or provide inventory for shipment during Saturdays or Sundays.

Inventory – The Contractor shall perform a piece count inventory of pajamas and scrubs shall be taken on approximately the 3rd weekend of March during each contract year. The inventory shall be categorized by each PJ and scrub line item listed in Attachment #1 and by all processing and storage locations at the VA and at the contractor. An inventorying plan must be provided to and accepted by the COR by February 15th preceding the inventory.

A standard weight per each item listed in agreement shall be established. The agreed upon weight shall be used to estimate quantities processed during the contract. Standard weights shall not be used for inventorying purposes.

2. Quality Control

The Contractor shall have a documented Quality Control Program to assure that the requirements of the Contract are provided as specified. A copy of the Contractor’s basic Quality Control Program shall be available for review by the COR within two (2) weeks of the contract award and at any time during performance. Subsequent changes to the accepted Quality Control Program must also be submitted to the COR for acceptance by the Government within 1 week of the change(s) made.

3. Quality Assurance

The Government will inspect the contractor’s completed work to ensure it is accomplished in accordance with the standards required by this contract.

Any errors in delivery tickets (i.e., weight, description), shall be reconciled by the Contractor within three (3) business days at no additional cost to the VAPHS.

In the event laundering services do not conform to this contract, re-performance of the services shall apply. Any items that do not meet the requirements in the SOW shall be re-cleaned, repaired or replaced at no additional costs to the Government. Such items will be identified to the Contractor’s representative at the next scheduled pick-up after the unsatisfactory condition is discovered. After the items are re-cleaned, the Contractor shall pack these items separately and identify by marking “Attention COR.”

The VA Pittsburgh Infection Control Nurse, COR, and other VA personnel shall conduct a separate inspection (announced or unannounced) of the Contractor’s facility and operations to ensure compliance with CDC and JCAHO infection control standards.

4. Contingency Plans

The contractor shall maintain a current Contingency Plan submitted with their proposal and notify the Contracting Officer of any proposed modifications. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer of any event that jeopardizes performance under this contract. The plan shall include contingency operations for:

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 immediately, as directed by the Contracting Officer. The Government reserves the right to obtain services from other sources in the absence of such action.

Labor Disputes. In the event of a labor dispute, the Contractor’s responsibility to provide the service shall 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 a labor dispute is threatened, the Contractor shall immediately notify the Contracting Officer. In case of a strike or other labor dispute interferes with timely contract performance, the Contractor shall immediately notify the Contracting Officer and initiate action under the Contingency Plan.

5. Performance Evaluation Meetings

The Contractor or designated alternate, Contracting Officer, Contracting Administrator, COR, and other appropriate staff shall meet during the performance of this contract as required by any party which may be a minimum frequency of once each month at a mutually agreed time. The Contractor shall take and submit written minutes to the COR and Contracting Officer. Additional coordination is at the discretion of the local participants.

6. Transition Period

The new Contractor shall assume complete responsibility for all operations required by this contract as of the first day of the contract period. Therefore, on the initial day of performance, the Contractor shall provide a workforce who is fully qualified and capable of performing all work required under this contract.

In the event the contract is awarded to other than the incumbent Contractor, the successor Contractor is responsible for obtaining all information from the incumbent Contractor necessary to ensure a smooth transition without any interruption in service during the transition period. Additionally, the incumbent Contractor will cooperate to the extent required to allow for an orderly change over to the new Contractor.

The Contractor shall fully cooperate with the successor Contractor and the VAPHS so as not to interfere with their work or duties. The plan must include flexibility to adjust to the incoming Contractor’s phase out plan and market conditions.

The Contractor may agree to sell and/or purchase from the Contractor any or all of the contractor-owned linens, textiles, PJs, and scrubs. The value of the inventory will be negotiated between the Contracting Officer and the Contractor IAW FAR Clause 52.237-3. Contractor inventory records, processing records, and replacement records will be taken into consideration during the negotiation process.

Phase-Out Details: On the final day of the contract, operations are expected to be the same as all previous days during the contract. The incumbent shall deliver clean laundry and pick up dirty laundry between 7 AM and 9 AM. The picked up dirty laundry shall be cleaned, dried, and packaged to prepare it for return to VAPHS.

On the following business day, the incumbent shall deliver all the laundry, including the Contractor owned items, cleaned during the final day of the contract. All par levels should be met. No dirty laundry shall be picked up on this day.

Due to the nature of laundry processing with Contractor owned items in use and in laundry rooms throughout the hospital, VAPHS estimates approximately 3 to 4 days of Contractor owned inventory to be in the possession of VAPHS after the final delivery the day following the last day of the contract. The incumbent shall provide a detailed estimated inventory of these items and agree to negotiate fair and reasonable compensation for VAPHS or the new Contractor to take ownership of these items.

The Contractor shall arrange with the COR the delivery of any VAPHS owned laundry and laundry carts held by the incumbent after the delivery of the final full load the day following the last contract day.

Phase-In Details: The new Contractor shall acquire sufficient inventory to begin full support at par levels on the first day of the contract. The new Contractor will be processing linen acquired during the phase out period, but this inventory is expected to be replaced by the new contractor as normal wear and tear degrades the quality and replacement is necessary.

7. Physical Security

The contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding any and all Government property either provided for use or being serviced under the provisions of this contract. At the close of each work period, Government facilities, equipment, and materials shall be secured.

8. Normal Hours

The contractor shall be available to meet with Government personnel during normal duty hours. Normal duty hours for the purpose of this contract are 7:00 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. Monday through Friday. Pickup and delivery schedules will be in between 7 A.M. and 9 A.M. or as agreed to and documented by the COR and Contractor.

9. Recognized Holidays

The contractor shall not be required to pick up and deliver laundry on all officially recognized federal holidays. The following is a list of legal federal holidays as referred to elsewhere in the contract and SOW:

New Year’s Day, January 1st Martin Luther King’s Birthday, 3rd Monday in January Presidents’ Day, 3rd Monday in February Memorial Day, last Monday in May Independence Day, July 4th Labor Day, 1st Monday in September Columbus Day, 2nd Monday in October Veteran’s Day, November 11th Thanksgiving Day, 4th Thursday in November Christmas, December 25th Any holiday as determined by Presidential Executive Order

F. Definitions

Definitions of special terms and phrases used in this SOW are as follow:

1. Clean Weight

The total weight of clean laundered items that were not processed through individual counts (e.g., special items such as physician smocks) delivered to and accepted by the Government.

2. Contract Officer’s Representative and Alternate Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR/ACOR)

Contract Officer’s Representative and Alternate Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR/ACOR) are the medical treatment facility personnel responsible for assisting in administration of the Government's quality assurance portion of the contract. These personnel are designated in writing by the Contracting Officer to be responsible for quality assurance, inspection, surveillance documentation and periodic (monthly) acceptance of Contractor's performance. A copy of the letter of designation will be provided to the Contractor.

3. Fair Wear and Tear Loss (FWT)

This term refers to the life of laundry/linen product, how many times the laundry/linen is used, and at what point is a product replaced, removed from circulation, or rejected.

4. Fisher House

The Pittsburgh Fisher House (FH) is a 10-bedroom facility providing hospitality service as a place for visiting families to stay, free of charge, while their loved ones receive inpatient medical care at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. Laundry currently processed by EMS staff using on site commercial grade washers and dryers shall be processed by the Laundry Contractor.

5. Par Level

The term used to describe the quantity of each laundry/linen item used by the VA and returned to the Contractor for processing in a 24-hour period. The par level should be sufficient to maintain productivity and to preclude laundry/linen shortage at the medical center.

6. Personal Items

These are items that belong to an individual that has been hospitalized and does not have family or friends that can clean their personal clothing. Items are items such as undergarments, shorts, t-shirts and socks. Items are inventoried and picked up in a mesh type bag.

7. Rental

Refers to the component of the per pound processing costs which reimburses the Contractor for purchasing the laundry/linen at the beginning of the contract and to maintain the total system inventory due to the replacement of fair wear and tear loss.

8. Surgical/Operating Room Linen

Laundry/linen utilized by surgical as identified in Attachment #4.

9. Total System Inventory

A complete itemized listing of all laundered items and equipment in circulation at the VAPHS. The linen inventory is a system wide inventory piece count of each linen item including in-process, in-use, in transit, storage, etc.

10. Uniforms

VAPHS owned clothing worn by VA employees as a means of identification. It is expected the contractor provide laundering service to include doctor lab coats, medical coats, coats, uniform pants, shirts, t-shirts. Service includes soil collection, washing, drying, finished processing includes mending, alterations, tracking, labeling, heat transfer labeling, dry cleaning, steam cleaning/Colmac steam, ironing, hanger, plastic packaged, hung during delivery, covered, and delivered. Expectation is no more than 3 day pick up, wash, finish processing and next day return delivery.

G. Government-Furnished Property (GFP) and Services

The Government shall provide the items listed below:

GFP linen includes, but is not limited to, the following: Pajamas, scrubs, lab coats, slings, uniforms, mats, hip pads, cubical curtains, and mops. Refer to Attachment #1 for detailed GFP linen list.

Laundry Carts. Carts shall be clearly marked with a unique identification number. Carts shall be clearly marked with the weight of the empty cart on all three (3) sides of the cart.

Laundry Bags.

The Government will provide historical usage/inventory data for information purposes only.

Fisher House linen including sheets, pillowcases, duvets, duvet covers, comforters, towels, mattress pads, blankets, and shower curtains.

All Government owned linen that is lost or missing while in the contractor’s possession shall be replaced at the contractor’s expense.

H. Contractor-Furnished Items

The contractor shall provide any and all property or services necessary for the performance of this contract, which is not specifically identified in this contract as furnished by the Government. Such property or services shall include, but is in no way limited to facilities, tools, equipment, materials (such as soaps, detergents, bleaches, starches, sizing, spotting agents, marking tapes, pad covers, and packaging materials).

Contractor-furnished Items include, but is not limited to, the following: Pillowcases, sheets, blankets, towels, wash cloths, bed pads, terry bibs, gowns, plastic bags, psych bags, huck towels, and wrappers. Refer to Attachment #1 for detailed Contractor- Furnished Items list.

Pick-up and Delivery Vehicle. Clean and soiled laundry shall not be transported in the same vehicles simultaneously.

All vehicles utilized for this contract shall be properly state-registered and licensed prior to being operated on Government property. The Contractor shall coordinate with the VAPHS, consisting of facilities at University Drive and at H.J. Heinz (Delafield Road) in Pittsburgh, PA. Security office to obtain passes for the Contractor’s employees and vehicles as needed.

Soiled and clean textiles shall not be transported in the same vehicle at the same time. Vehicles shall be cleaned after hauling soiled textiles prior to hauling clean textiles.

A lift gate equipped truck - the FH building does not possess a loading dock

Rags: Upon request of the COR, rags will be furnished to the VAPHS except for the cost of laundering the rags which will be billed at the “General Linen” rate identified in The Schedule. It is estimated that VAPHS uses approximately 200 pounds of rags per facility per month.

Cleaning rags shall be a huck/duck towel variety, 100% cotton, about 13” wide x 20” long, blue/white color, government agrees to dyed rags color shall be navy blue/true blue dye, all rags shall be dyed one time per month, last week and last Friday of each month.

Microfiber rags and cleaning products shall be/meet industry standards with color variation (red, green, blue, yellow), must follow washing guidelines for microfiber, and contractor must have capability to rent out microfiber products and goods to government. This would include dust mops (48” through 18”, 13”, flat mops, rags/cleaning cloth, dusters, flat mops for floor finish applications).

I. Specific Tasks

1. Laundry Services

Twenty-four (24) hour turn-around laundry service shall be provided to the University Drive hospital and at H.J. Heinz (Delafield Road) campus in Pittsburgh, PA. The soiled laundry shall be picked-up, processed, cleaned, dried, packaged and returned the next business day at the hospital and at the H.J. Heinz facility. For example, if the soiled laundry were picked-up Monday 0830, the soiled laundry shall then be processed, cleaned, dried, packaged and returned by Tuesday 0830.

Laundry shall be sorted for processing by industry practice which includes but not be limited to linens, surgery/OR, mops, clothing, and curtains by facility. FH laundry will be processed separately.

2. Fisher House

The FH laundry includes both flatwork and housekeeping items. All FH flatwork is provided by and owned by the VA and shall be processed separately in small batches from the medical center’s linens. Tunnel washers are expected to be too harsh for the flatware fabrics. Programmable commercial dryers shall be required for the different types of garments to avoid over drying and damaging the Fisher House linen. All flatwork (flat sheets, pillowcases, coverlets, duvet covers, tablecloths, etc.) would need pressed in a commercial grade iron and folded in a synchronized folder and transferred to a stacker. From there the linen would be stored properly or thermally shrink-wrapped. Some non-standard items as: duvet covers (double fabric, heavy), need to be hand folded. The folder might not be able to run the non-standard items through and would create a wrinkled creased garment. Fisher House duvet covers and shams washing cycle should contain some starch to achieve a clean and “crisp” look. Throughout this process the laundry will be constantly checked for stains, odors and overall appearance. The Laundry will be clean and wrapped linen weighted (always dry, never wet) and labeled Fisher House. The Fisher House housekeeping items may be processed along with the medical center’s mop heads and rags. The current workload is approximate four (4) 18-pound capacity loads daily, 7 days a week. One (1) of the four (4) loads is separated color linens. The Contractor shall process the color linens using recognized industry standards for maximizing color retention. Service shall be provided to the FH twice each week on the Monday and Thursday or on Tuesday and Friday as coordinated with the COR. Cart(s) shall be picked up and dropped off within the FH.

FH items include:

Flatwork items that must be processed separately, conditioned, ironed, and folded:

1. Pillowcases, regular

2. Sheets, poly/cotton, 300 thread count, bed (queen & twin)

3. Duvets & Duvet Covers, 300 thread count, (regular queen & twin)

4. Comforters (regular queen & twin)

5. Towels (face, bath, hand & floor mat)

6. Mattress Pads (queen & twin)

7. Blankets (polyester)

8. Shower curtains, 100% polyester, tumble dry low 5 minutes for wrinkles, iron at lowest temp

9. Housekeeping Items

10. Mop heads (regular & microfiber)

11. Cleaning rags

3. Hemming Services

Hem trousers and coveralls to specified length in a professional workmanlike manner on an as-needed basis upon ordering by the VAPHS. Trousers/coveralls for hemming will be identified by VAPHS with the patient’s name and given to the Contractor’s driver at the University Drive facility. The clothing will be returned to the University Drive facility when hemming is completed. The Contractor will ensure that the patient’s name remains with the clothing so that VAPHS can identify and make distribution to the patient.

The Contractor shall utilize an appropriate service log which shows dates and quantities of trousers/coveralls picked up for hemming and dates and quantities of hemmed trousers returned to VAPHS. Contractor’s monthly invoice shall identify number of trousers/coveralls hemmed, unit price and total price; and a copy of the service log supporting quantities billed shall be attached to the invoice.

4. Personal Property

All personal or Government property, to include monies, that is found in the laundry to be laundered shall be returned to the Government.

The Contractor shall make a diligent effort to ensure that items of personal property (e.g., jewelry, identification cards, driver's licenses, wallets, checks, etc.) discovered during the laundering process are delivered and returned to the hospital. All personal property items discovered shall be promptly identified, collected and sealed in an appropriately sized Kraft or similar paper style envelope.

A record of the personal property items discovered shall be maintained and affixed to each sealed envelope. This record shall indicate the date the property was found, an item(s) description, quantity, serial number(s) if applicable and remarks. The details of the disposition of the property, such as the date the item was delivered and returned to the hospital shall also be recorded.

Delivery and return of personal property to the COR and shall be accomplished within three workdays from the time the items are discovered. The Contractor shall obtain the Government's employee acknowledge of receipt of the item.

5. Process of Receiving and Returning Laundry

After the Government obtains and installs a scale, soiled laundry which is processed by weight shall be weighed at the medical facility and the weight recorded on a laundry tracking sheet supplied by the Government.

Contractor personnel shall be responsible for physically transferring soiled laundry into the contractor's vehicle and securing the load.

Upon arrival at the Contractor’s facility, the cart number, soiled cart weight (identified separately) and the total weight shall be entered on a tracking sheet and entered into the Contractor’s tracking system.

Cleaned and packaged deliveries of laundry that was picked up as soiled shall be made to designated areas at VAPHS. Clean laundry shall be weighed in a cart and the cart number, cart weight (identified separately) and the total weight shall be entered on the tracking sheet. A copy of daily laundry tracking sheets will be furnished to the Contractor, and one maintained by the Government.

Contractor personnel shall be responsible for physically transferring soiled laundry from the contractor's vehicle at both the Government’s and the Contractor’s facilities.

All disagreements in weight shall be directed to the COR for resolution.

The Contractor shall provide weekly summaries to the COR of all processed soiled and clean laundry weights. Disparities between the weights of the soiled and clean laundry that are beyond the healthcare industry standards or range shall be investigated and corrected. Any disagreements that cannot be resolved shall be directed to the Contracting Officer for resolution.

6. Service Response Time

The Contractor’s response times shall be monitored by the Government. The Contractor shall receive, process, and return laundry and/or articles in accordance with the service response times as specified in this contract. Failure to adhere to this requirement will be considered a deficiency in the Contractor’s performance. Service response times shall be computed from the time laundry is received by the Contractor at the Government site until the time it is returned to the Government.

7. Corrective Action

The Contractor shall take prompt actions to correct any services or products provided to the Government that does not conform to the requirements of this contract.

8. Standards of Quality

Periodically, the following guides will be used by the Government to control quality in a finished product. Failure to meet these standards will result in the product being returned for further cleaning.

All soil, spots and stains shall be removed, unless removal will change the color or damage the fabric.

Each item shall be (a) hygienically clean and dry and (b) free of lint, scorch marks or other damage to the fabric.

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

Articles shall smell fresh and clean and be free of objectionable odors such as cleaning chemicals, mold, mildew, body bacteria and other unclean elements.

No trace of wash supplies (e.g., soap, bleach, et al.) shall be left in the fabrics.

Shrinkage shall be no more than what may be termed as “natural” for the fabric in accordance with best commercial practices. 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 damages of any kind to the fabric.

Tumbled work shall be completely dry and soft.

Flatwork Items that must be conditioned, ironed, and folded: (e.g., sheets, pillowcases) shall be machine finished (ironed) so that the surfaces are smooth and without “rough dry” spots, wrinkles or “tails”. Flatwork shall be free of creases when received by the customer.

Pressing. Presswork shall be accomplished so that items meet best commercial (industry) standards.

Finished Work. The Contractor shall assemble completed work into bundles and wrap the bundles for return to VAPHS, consisting of facilities at University Drive and at H.J. Heinz (Delafield Road) in Pittsburgh, PA.

All finished clean goods, linens, uniforms shall be packaged professionally and in such a manner to prevent tip overs, spillage and conform to industry service delivery standards.

To eliminate the need for separate listing of items that are received infrequently, the item “Miscellaneous: Small, Medium, large” is shown at the end of each lot. This should be interpreted as follows:

Small: An item requiring the approximate time, effort, and cost to process as a pillowcase or wrapper.

Medium: An item requiring the approximate time, effort, and cost to process as a sheet or spread.

Large: An item requiring the approximate time, effort, and cost to process as a blanket.

J. Additional Requirements

The Contractor shall pick up unsorted and contaminated laundry in Government provided laundry bags. All soiled/contaminated laundry shall be cleaned, sanitized, and processed in strict accordance with federal, state and local laws as well as healthcare industry standards. Washing formulas shall be strictly adhered to so as to assure proper cleaning of all articles without damage to the article.

OSHA Blood borne Pathogens Standards. The Contractor shall comply with the OSHA Blood borne Pathogens Standard 29 CFR 1910.1030.

Exposure Control Plan. The Contractor shall develop and maintain an Exposure Control Plan to identify in writing the tasks and procedures in which occupational exposure to blood occurs. The Contractor shall make the plan accessible to their employees and available to OSHA. The Contractor shall make all personnel aware of this plan no later than the contract commencement date and no later than the first day of work for each new employee. A copy of the Contractors Exposure Control Plan shall be provided to the COR within four (4) weeks of the contract start date for acceptance. In the event of any updates to the plan during the duration of the contract, a revised plan shall be submitted to the COR for review and acceptance within five (5) days of said revisions.

Fair Wear and Tear – The Contractor shall establish a written, documented quality assurance program and is expected to correct any and all fair, wear and tear loss in timely fashion. At no additional cost to Government, the Contractor shall repair linen/textile to maximum extent when economically feasible. Any such repairs shall ultimately meet the Government standards.

Damaged textiles/linen beyond economical repair must be counted/accounted for as fair wear and tear loss by piece count and pounds of each item and presented monthly to COR. At no additional costs to the Government, the Contractor shall replace textile/linens deemed beyond economical repair due to fair wear and tear loss.

Unserviceable Articles. All Government owned items identified as unserviceable and/or non-repairable while in the possession of the Contractor shall be returned to VAPHS, Laundry Section in a separately marked bundle identified as “Unserviceable” after the items have been laundered. Items that are ripped, with holes or stained are considered unserviceable. These items shall be returned at a minimum of once per week of being identified as unserviceable. If it is determined that these items were caused by the Contractor (e.g., laundry machine, wrong wash formulas, excessive drying, et al.), the Contractor shall replace the items at no additional charge to the Government. Also, the Government will return all unserviceable and/or non-repairable items identified in a separately marked bundle to the Contractor for corrective action or replacement at no additional charge to the Government.

The Contractor shall maintain all production and other records relative to the performance of work under this contract. The required reports are listed on Attachment #2.

K. Finishing Instructions

Flatwork items that must be conditioned, ironed, and folded:

1. Apron, cook, white (folded, quarter fold, bundled in 30 pieces and tied)

2. Pillowcases, regular, white with VA logo, logo blue, (folded, folded in 3rds, bundled in 50 pieces tied, standard VA pillowcase fitting Medical Pillow, T180, 20” x 26”)

3. Pillowcases, surgical, misty green (folded, folded in 3rds, bundled in 30 pieces tied, standard VA pillowcase fitting 20” x 26” medical pillow, T180)

4. Sheets, poly/cotton, bed, T180 VA Sheets, 66”x115”, white, ironed (chest ironer), finished folded, bundled in 50, tied two ways opposing crisscross tying.

5. Tablecloth (per request)

6. Towel, kitchen, white, cotton/polyester, bundled and tied 50 pieces, per request.

7. Towel, huck, white or medical green, cotton/polyester, bundled and tied 50 pieces.

8. Wrappers, surgical and misc. surgical linen, medical green (as requested):

Small, Medium, and Large

9. Surgical Scrubs* (considered OR items for processing):

Tops & Bottoms

Contractor provides all sizes including alterations for uncommon sizes as requested.

*May be processed in another manner so long as there are no wrinkles or creases fitted sheets, white, 100% cotton, conforms to Psychiatric Hospital Standards, no elastic bands of any kind.

NOTE: Surgical scrubs must be folded in a manner by which they can be dispensed through a scrub dispensing machine (tied, bundled in 20 pieces, packaged in cart).

Bath towels (VA logo bath towels, re-usable, white, blue lettering VA logo, mid-section of towel, 1” lettering “VA Property Not for Resale”, 20”x40” and 24” x 48”, 100% cotton or 86/14% cotton/polyester blend.

Items that must be finished and placed on hangers:

Patient personal clothing (shirts /pants/coats-generally patient clothing is non- commercial grade material to be launder, treated and finished.)

1. Shirt, uniform

2. Trouser, uniform

3. Smock, knee length long coats

4. Coveralls

5. Doctor or Physician Lab Coat, employee coat, short, jacket

6. Pantsuit, top

7. Pantsuit, bottom

8. Uniforms

9. Curtains-polyester curtains dry clean, steam cleaned and processed, special note manufacturing instruction followed.

10. Cubical Curtains-VA owned Cubical Curtains, steam processed only, hanger-noncorrosive metallic hanger, finished with industry standard disposable/recyclable plastic cover.

NOTE: contractor provides hanger 18” inch, 14.5 to 13-gauge silver color or 18”, 14.5 to 13-gauge gold color standard dry cleaning industry hanger. Plastic over coating used on special items such as curtains, uniforms, lab coats, etc.

Items that must be tumbled dried and folded neatly and deliverable in a timely manner:

1. Bathrobe

2. Blankets, bath

3. Blankets, bedspread

4. Cover, mattress

5. Curtains, shower

6. Curtains, cubicle

7. Gown, operating

8. Gown, patient

9. Gown, isolation

10. Pads, absorbent

11. Pads, mattress

12. Pajamas

13. Coat

14. Trousers

15. Towel, bath

16. Misc. items:

a. Small

b. Medium

17. Warm-up jacket

18. Lift slings

Items that must be cleaned, dried and returned in bulk:

1. Mops, wet (includes standard VAPHS owned and rented microfiber products)

2. Mops, dust (includes standard VAPHS owned and rented microfiber products)

Items that must be dried and placed in laundry bags:

1. Linen bags (industry and VA standard linen bags for re-usable purposes)

2. Cloth, wash (includes standard VAPHS owned and rented microfiber products)

3. Rags (includes standard VAPHS owned and rented microfiber products)

4. Treaded slippers (socks) Items that must be finished folded, identified by patient name/number, if any, and put in protective packaging:

1. Patient’s Personal Clothing, which is not on hangers

L. Packaging and Transporting

1. General

Packaging is the means of preparing the finished products for delivery to the hospital. All finished products shall be packaged in such a manner that will prevent contamination or degradation in the cleanliness and quality of the product prior to its use at VAPHS, consisting of facilities at University Drive and at H.J. Heinz (Delafield Road) in Pittsburgh, PA.

2. Laundered Articles

The laundry shall be (a) sorted by type, size and color, (b) folded and stacked (c) wrapped and sealed in clear plastic, unless specified otherwise. The Government reserves the right to add, delete or change the size of the bundles.

Wrapping materials shall be clear plastic. Plastic wrap shall be of sufficient strength to hold articles without bursting or tearing during normal handling. Each bundle in Attachment #1 shall be clearly marked by size (i.e., small, medium, large, extra-large, et al.) and total pieces, if less then bundle size as identified in TE 1, on the clear plastic.

3. Preservation While in Transit

Articles processed in bundles or bags shall be transported in clean carts. In all instances, the Contractor shall transport and handle finished work so as to prevent wrinkling, damage and contamination.

4. Laundry Carts

Separate carts shall be used for transporting clean and soiled laundry within the Contractor’s laundry facility and during transportation to and from VAPHS, consisting of facilities at University Drive and at H.J. Heinz (Delafield Road) in Pittsburgh, PA. However, soiled carts may be used to transport clean laundry only when these carts are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected inside and out prior to each clean use (i.e., shipping or storage). Additionally, a clean sanitized liner shall be placed in each cart and a clean cover placed over the cart.

Contractor shall provide all clean and soiled laundry carts used to transport VAPHS, consisting of facilities at University Drive and at H.J. Heinz (Delafield Road) in Pittsburgh, PA. laundry. Carts used to transport clean laundry and soiled laundry shall be marked on all four sides with cart weight and cart number by the Contractor prior to the carts use. The Government and Contractor shall periodically inspect the carts to verify that the correct weight has been placed on each cart by the Contractor.

M. Applicable Regulations and Manuals

Regulations and Manuals

Publications applicable to this contract are listed below.

1. Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO):

Hospital Accreditation Standards (Current Edition).

2. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Guidelines for

3. Environmental Infection Control in Health-care Facilities (Current Edition).

4. The Department of Labor, 29 CFR 1910.1030. “Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens” (Current Edition).

5. Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council: Accreditation standards for processing reusable textiles for use in healthcare facilities (draft).

6. VA Handbook 1850.03 Textile Care Management (http://www.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=2180)

7. ANSI/AAMI ST65:2008

N. Invoicing – Processing

The Contractor shall invoice using the unit costs for processing listed for CLIN 0001. This agreement does not break out different processing costs based on the processing categories that were used during prior agreements.

To improve tracking of the laundering activity, the Contractor shall attach a detailed report to each invoice listing the quantities invoiced for each of the categories listed below:

1. HZ General Linen

2. HZ OR/Surgery

3. HZ Mops

4. HZ Clothing

5. HZ Curtains

6. UD General Linen

7. UD OR/Surgery

8. UD Mops

9. UD Clothing

10. UD Curtains

11. Uniforms

12. Hemming

13. Dry Cleaning Providing a detailed processing report is a requirement for payment.