TRSA Launches Safety & Health Certification

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — May 19, 2020 — TRSA is launching a plant-based Safety & Health Certification (S&H). The S&H was created by the TRSA Safety Committee to help laundry facilities create a culture of safety that provides a return on investment by increasing productivity and engagement while reducing injuries, absenteeism and workers’ compensation costs.

“The S&H certification process of internal evaluation, application, inspection and improvement provides laundries with a path toward continuous improvement,” said Joseph Ricci, CAE, president & CEO, TRSA. “It offers a path toward employee engagement that helps organizations create a culture of safety.”

Laundries earning the TRSA S&H Certification have demonstrated best quality management practices verified by an independent, third-party inspection process. Modeled on the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) guidelines, prerequisites for obtaining the S&H certification include:

  • Protocols and compliance for workplace and worker safety (PPE, ergonomics, proper training on tools and equipment, access to First Aid, etc.);
  • Prioritizing an environment that benefits workers and results in increased productivity and worker satisfaction;
  • Creating opportunities for increased plant output by minimizing equipment downtime;
  • Increasing plant bottom line through reduced Workers’ Comp premiums and avoidance of the costs associated with worker injury/equipment malfunction;
  • Identifying hazards that could be cause for citations or fines during formal OSHA inspections; and
  • Empowering employee safety training and input on solutions to issues that may be plant-specific.

In addition, earning the S&H Certification also includes implementation of an effective OSHA recordkeeping program and two-years OSHA TRIR (total recordable incident rate) that are less than or equal to the Bureau of Labor Statistics annual report. Interested laundries should download and review the TRSA S&H Standard at www.trsa.org/certification and follow up procedures provided at that site.

Obtaining a culture of safety, organizations documented*:

  • 70% fewer employee safety incidents;
  • 41% lower absenteeism;
  • 40% fewer quality defects;
  • 21% higher profitability;
  • 20% higher sales;
  • 17% higher productivity; and
  • 10% higher customer satisfaction.

*Source: Gallup 2017 report, State of the American Worker

TRSA promotes the value and benefits of linen, uniform and facility services that enhance businesses, retailers, healthcare facilities, restaurants, government and other organizations’ images while providing cleaner, safer environments for their employees and customers.

Other certification programs administered through TRSA include the companywide environmental stewardship certification of Clean Green as well as the plant-specific certifications rooted in best-management practices (BMPs) for handling and laundering of linens and other reusable textiles for healthcare, hospitality, food service and food safety: Hygienically Clean Healthcare, Hygienically Clean Hospitality, Hygienically Clean Food Safety and Hygienically Clean Food Service. TRSA also has the individual Certified Professional Laundry Manager (CPLM) designation which is attained through completion of online study materials and testing or through management and production study through TRSA’s Professional Management Institute (PMI, www.trsa.org/pmi).

Posted May 19, 2020

Source: TRSA

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