Submitted Questions and Answers.pdf

Question 1.

Question: Would the government please consider raising the page limitation for the Technical Capability to the 75-100 pages range?

The page limitation will be changed to 25 pages for each factor- (Contingency Plan, Procedures Manual, Quality Control Plan and Experience) .

Question 2.

Question: Would the government please considering revising the PARA to only require the following as it is what is applicable to an offsite laundry?

Hepatitis B vaccination, post exposure prophylaxis for high-risk exposure is mandatory per Occupational Safety & Health Agency (OSHA) Bloodborne Pathogen Regulation, 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1910.1030. The Contractor shall offer the employees the Hepatitis B vaccinations as well as post exposure prophylaxis for high-risk exposure (Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) medication) per current guidelines of OSHA Blood Borne Standard 29 CFR 1910.1030.

The Government agrees to the change of PARA as required to offsite laundry.

Question 3.

Question: Would the government accept a TRSA Hygienically Clean Certification as an alternate acceptable healthcare laundry certification?

Yes, the TRSA Certification is acceptable.

Question 4.

Question: Is it the government’s intent that there be a detailed count of all items in each (by specific type of item(s)) in each cart if there are more than one type of item in a specific cart. i.e. Detailed count of Sheets [by type and color], pillowcases, and/or hand towels. Or just the aggregate number of pieces in each cart regardless of type of item – just total pieces?

Yes, we need a detailed account for each delivery.( instead of cart) a sample is attached.

Question 5.

Question: Can clean items be on the same truck as other customer goods that might be soiled if they are in separate carts?

No, Soiled and clean articles shall not be transported in the same vehicle.

Question 6.

Question: Will the contractor be allowed to hold items back for rewash or reclaim to be processed over a longer than 24-hour period of time? If this is not allowed then this could temporarily skew the cleaned returned lbs. from a turn in until the rewash items are returned. If the contractor is not allowed to hold these items until a full load of rewash is accumulated (which is the industry standard), then the contractor would have to process the rewash the next day or even same day, requiring additional processing costs that would inflate the cost to the government. The calculation of clean/soil variance is usually done at the end of each month to average out variances, not on a daily basis.

Changed To :”5.1.5. Discrepancies. Any discrepancy in weight, 93% return of clean versus soiled laundry shall be annotated monthly. (e.g. for laundry, if 100 pounds of soiled laundry are picked up, then at least 93 pounds of clean laundry shall be returned;. The permissible weight variance between the total monthly weights of soiled laundry picked up and the total weight of that same laundry when it is cleaned and returned. This weight difference shall not exceed 7.0 percent. Unresolved shortages will be identified in writing to the CO/KO for appropriate action. The Contractor shall be responsible for any laundry that are lost or go missing while in the Contractor’s possession.”

Rewash - reclaim is allowed to be held longer. Rewash- reclaim attached laundry ticket should be marked “Rewash”

Question 7.

QUESTION: The finishing Codes in Exhibit A are lacking the proper finishing code(s) for: Sheets, Pillow Cases, blue and green OR towels, tablecloths and napkins, etc.

The current finishing codes in the RFQ are: Fold, Bundled, Shrink-wrapped. An additional code for these and similar items should also include FWI (Flatwork Ironed). This is the common industry standard and has been the practice at GLWACH for over 30 years.

Flatwork ironed is addressed in 5.5.8.

Question 8.

QUESTION: Does the hospital want the linens presorted before washing for wash quality, separating white linens from colored to avoid dye carryover, and removal of sharps, cell phones, stethoscopes, billfolds, and numerous other miscellaneous items left in the soiled laundry?

The Government lays out the standards addressed in 5.5 – 5.5.10 and addresses Lost and Found in 5.1.4.

It is up to the contractor to meet the standards and know how to achieve them.

Question 9.

Question: The current contract requires these to be hung on hangers. Does the government want these items hung on hangers or folded and bundled? If the smocks are Bundled and Wrapped – it would defeat the purpose of pressing of the garment(s) as they would become very wrinkled in the folding and wrapping process. The proper finishing code for smocks would be P, H, B (Press, Hung and Bagged).

NOTE: There are also green Smocks in the GLWACH workload, and the finishing code “P” is missing from the Blue Smocks.

Exhibit A States:” EXAMPLE IDENTIFICATION, STANDARD PACKAGING, AND METHOD

OF FINISH FOR BULK LAUNDRY

The current Blue Smocks don’t require pressing. All Items listed as 1 per bundle should be on hangers and bagged.

Question 10.

Question: Will there be 2 sets of carts, one for soiled items and one for clean items that are transported each day? This would require 2 trips to the hospital. One trip delivering clean and picking up soiled. Then a second trip to pick up empty clean carts for the next days delivery. This could add significant transportation cost to the contract essentially doubling the number of trips.

PWS 5.9.1 states:” 5.9.1. Soiled carts may be used to transport clean laundry only when these carts have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected inside and out prior to each clean use (i.e., shipping or storage).

Additionally, a hygienically clean liner shall be placed at the bottom of the cart and a clean cover placed over the cart.”

* Final award will reflect all PWS revisions noted in the questions.