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American Laundry News - October 2014

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OCTOBER 2014

BOSTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that separate settlements will require UniFirst Corp. and Cintas Corp. to obtain Clean Air Act permits, as well as pay penalties, to resolve cases of alleged violations of the federal law at several of the companies’ New England facilities. Both companies allegedly failed to obtain air pollution control permits for their facilities in the area, according to the EPA. They will now be required to follow a set of “best management practices” regarding laundering of dirty shop towels, which the agency says can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during washing and drying. UniFirst will pay $309,980 in penalties; Cintas will pay $150,000. In a written statement, Cintas says that its violations involved the absence of pre-construction and operating permits required for handling soiled shop towels, but that actual emission levels at the laundries in question were “a small fraction of the level of potential emissions that triggered the preconstruction requirement.” UniFirst says in a written statement that “there is no evidence that emissions at any UniFirst facility ever increased” when washers or dryers were replaced at its New England facilities, which required new air permits from EPA that weren’t obtained. ALN

Volume 40, Number 10

BY THERESA BOEHL, EDITOR NEW YORK — When the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show® (IHMRS) arrives here next month, it will bring with it some 17,000 participants for an exhibit featuring 650 or more companies, all housed in a space of more than 100,000 square feet, say show organizers. The annual show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center will be presented Sunday, Nov. 9, through Tuesday, Nov. 11. According to show management company Hospitality Media Group (HMG), the exposition will attract representatives from hotel and restaurant chains, management companies, resorts, military lodging, healthcare foodservice, casinos, bed and breakfasts and more. “Shows tends to reflect the industries they serve and certainly the hotel and restaurant is doing pretty well right now, so we expect to be up both in our exhibit category and in our attendance category,” says Phil Robinson, show director of IHMRS. Those wanting to get an early start can attend the Hospitality Leadership Forum, to be hosted on Saturday, Nov. 8. The day will feature panel talks, a keynote luncheon, afternoon concurrent

IHMRS is expected to draw some 17,000 participants when it comes to New York next month. (Photos: HMG)

sessions and plenty of opportunities to network. It will run 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The 5th Boutique Design New York (BDNY) show will be held concurrently, and will include

BY THERESA BOEHL, EDITOR ATLANTA — Under new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hospitals treating patients confirmed as having the Ebola virus are advised to forgo laundering all potentially contaminated linens and discard them as regulated medical waste. The new guidance comes as hospitals prepare for the possibility of treating patients arriving from West Africa with the deadly virus, which has killed more than 2,400 people on that continent,

according to the World Health Organization. At press time, only Atlanta’s Emory University Hospital and Omaha’s Nebraska Medical Center had treated patients who arrived in the U.S. from West Africa infected with the virus. According to the CDC, the Ebola virus is spread through direct contact with blood and body fluids of a symptomatic infected person, as well as through exposure to contaminated needles and other objects, but adds that “the role of the environment in transmission has not been established.”

See IHMRS on Page 6

While the CDC says there is no epidemiologic evidence of the virus being transmitted through “either the environment or fomites that could become contaminated during patient care,” such as bed rails, door knobs or even laundry, the severity of the disease calls for “higher levels of precaution” in reducing potential contamination. RECOMMENDATIONS

On Aug. 22, the CDC released Interim Guidance for Environmental Infection Control in Hospitals for Ebola Virus, updated

www.americanlaundrynews.com

INSIDE Panel of Experts

Small sorting tasks are key for meeting larger production goals.

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exhibits highlighting the latest design products for hotels, restaurants, spas and casinos.

CDC: Forgo laundering Ebola patient linens, discard as regulated medical waste from a version released earlier that month. The update includes more details about recommendations for textile care management in healthcare facilities treating patients potentially infected with Ebola. Among the precautions hospitals are urged to undertake for patients with “probable or confirmed” Ebola virus is the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), including disposable gloves, a fluid-resistant or impermeable gown, eye protection and a See EBOLA on Page 15

The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management

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SHOWCASE

UniFirst, Cintas fined in EPA settlements

Bigger crowds, more exhibits expected at November’s Hotel, Motel show in NYC

PRODUCT

Late News

NAPERY & TABLE LINENS

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S.C. Firm Keeps Rental Housing Linen Flowing

Q&A: How one operator takes advantage of the available tools and technologies for producing clean linens.

9/22/14 8:35 AM


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American Laundry News - October 2014 by American Trade Magazines - Issuu