Content about Man Made Disaster

CHICAGO — Anyone who has ever been challenged to shoehorn a functional laundry into a tiny space knows that they can perform such a feat, but the sequel is making that laundry work properly.

Nowhere is this situation more profound than in the cruise line industry, where a square foot of space is like gold. And nowhere in the annals of commercial/industrial laundry design are there as many examples of laundries that do not work because they were designed by people not qualified nor practiced in process (work) flow. An example might help to illustrate the point:

During a recent cruise ship start-up operation, a machinery company had sold several hundred thousand dollars of equipment to a prominent, prestigious and well-known cruise line company. Upon entry into the laundry space, an individual could stand in the middle and turn around with outspread arms and touch two of the opposite walls.

Rather than placing the equipment along a wall so there would be room to work in front of the machines, the washers were placed in front of the dryers. The total space behind the washer-extractors was 2 feet, and the spacing between the washers and dryers was 3 feet. To make matters worse, the 34-inch-wide carts came in contact with the machines every time a dryer needed to be unloaded.

Another confounding issue was a flatwork ironer in the middle of the floor, right in front of a single door used for ingress and egress into the laundry processing area. Furthermore, this space had to be used for both laundry and guest drycleaning services. There was no soiled-linen storage area, and the laundry crew actually sorted the textiles into the washers as they were coming down from the guest floors.

Granted, this illustration highlights extreme conditions, but it is typical of what can happen when too little thought and experience is applied to a compact-laundry layout. There are specific guidelines that should be followed when a compact laundry is being planned.

Form Follows Function

The function and size of the laundry must be calculated first based on the work to be processed. It is not a cardinal sin to say to an owner, “There is not enough space to do what needs to be done,” but be prepared to offer some viable alternative.

So now, the thought process must be re-engineered. In some cases, it may be necessary to open up options and revisit the hours of operation. Instead of operating a compact laundry 8 hours a day, it may be necessary for that laundry to operate 16 hours a day in order to get all of the textiles processed within a specified block of time.

The functional task of every laundry is to process soiled textiles and convert those textiles into clean, usable textiles. Certain parameters must be followed:

• First and foremost, compact laundries must comply with all municipal, state and federal safety regulations.
• Workflow must follow a prescribed pathway without any cross traffic patterns.
• All equipment must be sized to meet the hourly production task. Do not install just one machine type. At the very least, install two machines: one smaller and one larger.
• Temporary storage of “in-process goods” must be provided.
• The laundry should be devoid of unnecessary items. It is not a storage closet.
• All laundry associates must understand the operational process.

Safety and Regulatory Considerations

Owners or general managers sometimes try to save money by skirting regulatory requirements. Don’t do it. Those regulations are in place for health and safety.

Some of the germane regulations that must be followed no matter the size of the laundry are:

• clearance requirements around all machines for maintenance and repairs
• fresh-air provisions for proper gas-fired equipment operation
• ventilation requirements for laundry and equipment to operate efficiently
• adequate water volume and temperatures to remove stains
• proper wastewater sewage elements; adequate line sizes for all machines dumping simultaneously; removable wastewater lint traps; sufficient sewer line clean-outs and vent lines
• electrical disconnects within 3 feet or line of sight for every machine using electricity
• water and natural gas valves within 3 feet of machines using those utilities
• a twin-compartment utility laundry sink for special laundry procedures
• fire sprinkler systems (even though not all municipalities mandate them, they are recommended)

Tomorrow in Part 2: Operational issues that should be considered and implemented during the planning and design process…

WARREN, Mich. — Local authorities are investigating a Wednesday night explosion that reduced Best Textile Services, a commercial laundry in this north Detroit suburb, to rubble.

Investigators from the Warren Fire Department and other agencies are trying to determine what caused the 8:15 p.m. blast that rattled homes and businesses several miles away.

They are looking into the possibility that the explosion was caused by a gas leak, says Warren Police Lt. Michael Torey, and local gas company Consumers Energy has been contacted.

WASHINGTON — The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has recently taken more action to impose fines and enforce regulations concerning combustible dust and lint in laundry facilities.

This extra attention has translated into a regulatory push for higher standards and the potential for significant fines for lack of compliance.

CHICAGO — Two-thirds of laundry managers and administrators responding to August’s Wire survey say their laundry, or one that they oversee, has suffered a fire during their tenure.

Approximately 43% of respondents say their most recent fire began in a dryer. A cart containing textiles was the point of origin for 28.6%, followed by the catchall “other” at 21.4%. Among starting points in the “other” category were wet mops, a monorail sling, and a large-capacity conventional washer.

It’s been challenging for many of us to find repair parts for Lavatec or Washex equipment. Vendors have asked me if I would be in a hurry to replace the Lavatec tunnel, press and dryers that we purchased in 1991 if Lavatec officially closed its doors.

My normal answer has been that I’m using two American Laundry Machinery ironers and that company has been out of business for approximately 30 years.

I was just reading your story about how Superior Linen Supply Co. last year overcame a plant fire to keep servicing their customers (18 Months After Fire, KC Linen Supplier Going Strong).

CHICAGO — Thanks to Halloween, October is a time of year that’s synonymous with fear. The fright is intended to be all in fun, but things sometimes happen in our industry that can cause a real scare. So, American Laundry News asked its Wire subscribers about what gets their hearts pounding.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — At Superior Linen Supply Co., the Kartsonis family and other principals in the independent, family-owned company can look back on any number of important moments and appreciate how they have molded and shaped the 115-year-old business.

Few dates in its lengthy lineage have been as significant to Superior Linen as Dec. 1, 2006.

COLUMBIA, N.C. — When Mark Yacobi heard that a fire had struck the small-town laundry and linen service where he worked, he thought it was no big deal.

“I was expecting to see a little bit of damage,” he remembers.

But when he arrived at Whitecap Linen on Feb. 23, 2006, he found the laundry and its equipment nearly destroyed.

QUINCY, Mass. — The number of fires that were reported in U.S. hotels and motels declined in 2002 for a third straight year, according to statistics published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

2002 is the most recent year for which data was reported in Selections from U.S. Fires in Selected Occupancies: Hotels and Motels, prepared by Marty Ahrens of the NFPA’s Fire Analysis and Research Division.

MOBILE, Ala. — The July 10 fire at ARAMARK Uniform Services' Mobile, Ala., plant caused $200,000 in damage, primarily to garments and smaller pieces of equipment, an ARAMARK spokeswoman says, but the facility was operational and able to service all of its customers the next day.

The building used for sorting and storage was rented space and will be rebuilt. ARAMARK is moving to a temporary building a mile away until it's completed.