Table of contents

1. Introduction and purpose

2. Corona approach:

a. Risks and delimitation

b. Vision and Policy on Corona Covid-19

c. Organization

3. Work organization and working method

a. Rules

i. Keep a distance / 1.5 m

ii. Protection Organizational

iii. PPE (personal protective equipment)

iv. Hygiene

b. Supervision

4. Rules and measures for textile cleaning

a. Textile cleaning workflow (general)

b. A Regular textile cleaning (uncontaminated textiles)

c. B Textile cleaning (contaminated textiles)

5. Communication with all parties involved: consultation, evaluation and updating;

6. Creation/origin

7. Corona: Optimization processes (Renewal)

Attachments:

A. Corona: communication, instructions & information (examples)

B. Corona: prevention, risks and protocols industrial textile service

C. Corona protocol for retail textile cleaning

D. Annex D CERCLEAN® and Certex® International Certification program for Professional laundry companies 

This Branch Corona Textile Service Guide is a guide with recommendations / suggestions. Based on this Guide, among others, a protocol is being developed within the company with rules of conduct / instructions that must then be followed.

^{This guide has no formal, legal significance.}

^{1 Introduction and purpose}

The world is confronted with the COVID-19 pandemic which has greatly disrupted society and the economy. The pandemic has caused many casualties worldwide. Even more people have been infected and have ended up in ICs with serious illness. Patients who have recovered must go through a major rehabilitation process.

CINET developed protocols in an early stage with a twofold purpose:

• Protection of employees against the risk of contact with contaminated laundry;
• Delivery of hygienically clean, corona free textiles.

Multiple webinars for both Retail Textile Cleaning (RTC) and Industrial Textile Service (ITS) on on these topics were attended by colleagues from all over the world.

Much is still unknown and one of the big questions is when a vaccin and/or cure will be availalbe. And how long it will take to produce and distribute them substantially? This leads to the situation that COVID-19 remains a threat indefinitely.

Internationally  goverments, authorities, institutes and industries are looking for an exit strategy away from lockdowns. This means that workplaces have to be prepared to ensure safe working conditions for employees and to prevent the spread of the virus.

 Industries must prepare plans to implement these safe working places within individual companies. In this context, the targets and bottlenecks have been mapped out on the basis of concrete work situations.

COVID-19 is the new Corona virus that first appeared in Wuhan, China at the end of December 2019. Since February 2020, the virus has spread rapidly world wide. In the Netherlands, the government has issued measures against the spread of the coronavirus. Also the WHO has prepared instructions and protocols.

• As an extension of this, the employers of textile care companies, who provide services for the crucial occupational groups, have taken measures to protect the health and safety of their employees as much as possible.
• This also in view of the importance that employees of these textile care companies make a direct contribution that these crucial professional groups can continue to carry out their tasks to keep society running.
• In addition, companies and, of course, textile care companies are obliged to provide safe working conditions for their employees. Protocols have been developed to ensure hygiene and limit risks to employees as much as possible.
• In addition, a quality scheme Cerclean has been developed that is used at many laundries. This scheme also provides interfaces and overlap with safe working conditions. A quality schedule is also applied to textile cleaners.

2. Corona approach

2. A. Risks and scope

Corona related risks occur in two ways in textile service companies. On the one hand, there is a risk in processing textiles contaminated with Corona. On the other hand, there is the general risk of Corona, which should be minimized by applying the guidelines and instructions of the 1.5 meter economy. The goal here is to protect employees against both risks in the best possible way. Furthermore, laundries are trusted to deliver hygienically clean laundry of a certain quality level. In order to prevent (re-)contamination of these textiles, (personal) hygiene is imperative.

The textile service sector includes laundries and retail textile cleaners (dry cleaners). They both process Corona contaminated laundry to a certain extent. There is, however, a fundamental difference in working method, cleaning process and scale of operation in the two company types. They work according to their own Handbook of Occupational Health. In this protocol therefore, basic guidelines applicable to both types have been drawn up first. Specific challenges, key points and solutions particular to the two company types are presented separately after that.

Categories Textile Care Sector Guide

Basis siuation	Regular processes	Processing contaminated textiles
Laundries	Uncontaminated textiles	Contaminated textiles
Textile cleaners	Uncontaminated textiles	Contaminated textiles

^{Regular:                                                                                            1.5 meter measures}

^{Contaminated textiles:                               Extra measures}

^{– Mouth mask FFP1}

^{– Disinfecting cleaning/washing process (thermal/chemical)}

^{– 5 days storage}

^{2 B. Position and policy on Corona Covid-19}

The textile service sector has processed Corona contaminated laundry from the start of the outbreak. Safe ways for employees to process this contaminated laundry has been a main concern from the beginning.

Several protocols have been developed to process contaminated textiles in a safe way. The Handbook of Occupational Health[1], the Risk Inventory & Evaluation (RI&E)[2], the sector certification process and best practises have served as a start for these protocols. They were further constructed following available information and consultation with authorities, microbiologists, cleaning experts, suppliers as well as national and international consultation on which measures are crucial for laundries and textile cleaners in this situation. This resulted in two protocols dealing with safe processing of Corona contaminated textiles:

• Textile service: Update corona COVID-19: prevention, risks and protocols professional textile care (Industrial Textile Services)
• Textile cleaners: Advice for Retail Textile Cleaners on handling (contaminated) laundry

These two protocols deal with the risks of processing Corona contaminated textiles in a safe way. To be thorough, these protocols have also been included in this Industry Corona Guide, which is primary designed to deal with the challenges of a 1.5 meter economy. Additionally, this protocol identifies and maps out the specific risks that arise in the different company types, as well as concrete options to deal with these challenges. The guidelines provided by the Dutch Governmental Institute for Health and Safety have served as guidance in setting up this guide.

Implementing effective measures to deal with the risks of Corona contamination is, and will remain, the responsibility of the individual companies. This Corona Textile Care Sector Guide will support companies in the application of effective and practical measures to create safe working conditions and in delivering hygienically clean and Corona-free textiles to customers.

^{2 C. Organisation}

The laundry processes in textile service companies are set up in a practical way and are characterized by a certain dynamic. In the case of industrial laundries, this set up and dynamic is mainly dependent on the size of the company.

In companies employing more than 50 people, a Corona Coordinator will be appointed and a Corona Team will be set up. This team will include employees which are responsible for the company processes as well as a member of the MT. Every location will set up a contact point where employees can file a complaint.

Smaller companies will set up a Corona Team including the company managing board and a Corona Coordinator. Someone will be appointed (for example a member of the Works Council or Staff Representation) so that employees have a contact person to which they can take any Corona related complaints.

The Corona Team will be responsible for a Corona safe work environment for employees following the international and national guidelines and regulations for a 1.5 meter economy; for the application of the Corona Textile Care Sector Guide; and for the delivery of hygienically clean, Corona-free textiles to customers. To further this purpose, the Corona Team is also responsible for conclusive agreements with the company’s customers.

The Corona Coordinator is responsible for:

• Setting up a company Corona Protocol;
• Arranging appropriate consultation with all stakeholders;
• Implementing and optimizing measures;
• Evaluating and reporting on the current status to the managing board;
• Keeping all documents up to date and communicating new developments.

The Corona Team meets whenever it is deemed necessary. In the beginning however, the team will assemble at least once a week and, after a while at least every month, to discuss the current status and report to the managing board. Where necessary, additional measures will be taken.

As the protocol is implemented, the employees will receive an elaborate explanation about it. They will, at this point, also be able to put forward their questions. In daily/weekly meetings with the employees progress will be discussed and specific issues will be addressed.

A contact point will be set up. This is where employees will be able to take their questions on specific concerns about Corona.

The Corona Coordinator is recognizable as such within the company. The Coordinator additionally has a supervisory task towards all employees. These supervisory tasks might, where suitable, also be passed down to other team leaders.

Contact point[3]

Employees initially report complaints to the responsible person of the Corona Team. If complaints are not or not sufficiently heard / dealt with, reporting to the reporting center is possible

A contact point will be set up. This is where employees can address their complaints or problems related to Corona. Employer as well as unions will be briefed about these complaints. The set up of the contact point is made known at the time of implementation of this protocol.

• ^{Company organisation and work methods}
• Rules

The company will follow, to begin with:

1. The general measures as instructed by the relevant authorities:

When you are experiencing symptoms of a cold, do not go to work.

Do you have a cold and fever (38 degrees Celsius or higher) and / or shortness of breath: stay at home. Sick out. Do not run errands or receive visitors. If you have roommates, they may not go outside either; only those who have no complaints may do some shopping. Housemates working in crucial professions and vital processes are excluded from this; they stay at home if they themselves have complaints with fever and / or tightness. If everyone has no complaints for 24 hours, you can go outside again.

2.  The following approach is followed in the following order to remove occupational health and safety risks:

1. Distance/1.5 meter: To start with, the company will determine in which ways bodily contact can be prevented by applying the 1.5 meter measures;

2. Organizational: When this is not possible, the company will determine which organisational measures can be implemented to prevent a transfer of contamination (f.e. limiting the number of employees in each room or per m2, installing plexiglass screens, etc.);

3. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): When these organisational measures are not sufficiently effective, personal protective equipment will be used, like gloves, face masks and protective clothing.

            i.          Keep your distance

• Limit visitors as much as possible (keep to a maximum of 3 visitors, depending on national regulations and the available space) and;
• Keep over 1.5 meter distance between yourself and someone else.

Consultations/meetings/gatherings

• There will be no physical meetings with more people than is allowed according to government guidelines, depending on national regulations and the available space, and there will be no meetings where a distance of 1.5 meter between employees cannot be guaranteed.
• Meetings will be carried out, as much as possible, over the phone or online as a video call. This applies to internal meetings as well as client meetings and meetings with other external relations or contact persons.
• Whenever a meeting needs to take place in the physical form, the number of participants will be limited to a minimum as much as possible. The distance between each of the participants needs to be at least 1.5 meter (so make sure people are not sitting too close together).
• In all abovementioned cases, the different participants in the meeting will agree upon the necessary measures in advance, so that misunderstandings are prevented whenever possible.

Logistical flow/internal routing

• The company will analyse the logistical flow and necessary movements of people in the company. Challenges in this area, as well as solutions to possible problem areas, will be mapped out so that the risk at personal contact can be minimized.
• Narrow hallways, when left as they are, cause people to pass each other at too close a distance, so that they will not be able to avoid bodily contact. Extending the hallways or labelling the hallway as a one way route are possible solutions.
• The work spaces should be large enough in size to enable the presence of the number of people who work in that space taking into account the 1.5 meter rule.
• Conveyor belts are causing people to move while executing  their tasks (f.e. sorting dirty laundry). This might cause them to break the 1.5 meter rule. A physical marking or separation can be installed to identify the zone in which they are allowed to move.

Work space set up

• Distances: the work space should be set up so that the minimal distance between employees is always 1.5 meter (f.e. set up of folding tables, packaging- and sorting areas). When this is not possible, organisational measures will be taken to prevent personal contact.

ii.  Organizational

• Markings: if the work space is set up in such a way that employees are easily at risk to enter into each other’s parameter of 1.5 meter, the company will arrange for tape/ribbon markings to identify the 1.5 meter parameter.
• Lowering or spreading the occupancy rate of working station(s) and/or work hours: in case of work stations where, as a result of the machine set up, the distance between employees is necessarily less than 1.5 meter and other measures to prevent contamination are not possible to carry out, employees will be working in shifts.
• Plexiglass screens to separate work stations/work areas: if the distance between employees in work stations, as a results of the machine set up, is necessarily less than 1.5 meter, plexiglass can be installed between the work stations.
• Whenever the distance between employees is less than 1.5 meter as a result of the machine set up, and other measures cannot be taken, the employees will work in shifts.
• When a distance of 1.5 meter cannot be arranged and plexiglass screens cannot be installed to separate the work stations, face masks FFP1 will be used.

iii. Personal protection equipment (PPE

• Mouth mask FFP1 if no 1.5 meters distance can be realized and other measures / adjustments are not possible.Personal hygiene

iv     Personal hygiene

• Wash your hands:
  • Wash your hands for 20 seconds with water and soap, then dry your hands thoroughly.
  • Wash your hands before you go outside, when you come back home, when you blow your nose, before dinner and after going to the bathroom.
• Cough or sneeze inside your elbow.
• Use paper towels to blow your nose and throw them out afterwards.
• Wash your hands after blowing your nose.
• Don’t shake other people’s hands.

iii. Employees with health concerns

• • In case of complaints (Corona clinical picture), the employee does not go to work /
• • If it is signaled that the employee has (possible) complaints, the employer can request that the temperature of the employee be measured on site in an appropriate environment (with a thermometer available on location for this purpose); the results are not recorded.
• • If an increase (38 degrees Celsius or higher) is determined, the employee is presumed to be ill and goes home.
• • If necessary, the company doctor is called in.

European legislation on privacy

• Measuring body temperature is allowed, registering or processing this data is not allowed. Within privacy legislation (GDPR), it is not allowed to process medical data. The Dutch Data Protection Authority only allows reading without (automatic) processing. Scanning someone’s temperature upon entry is therefore allowed, but using someone’s temperature as an access control through a gate is not allowed. Also, a person’s temperature should not be recorded or kept.

B. Supervision

Certain employees within the company organisation will be appointed to supervise correct compliance with the guidelines that have been implemented within the company.

These employees will preferably be working as:

• Team leader; or
• Prevention officer.

Daily monitoring will include:

Monitoring limited personal contact

In case of limiting personal contact, the company will make sure that the manager leads by example. Employees who are not limiting personal contact, will be asked to follow the rules.

Monitoring implementation rules of hygiene
The employer ensures that employees will follow the instructions for hygienic working by instructing the manager to lead by example. The manager will talk to employees when they do not follow the instructions.

Supervision of the rules regarding the processing of corona contaminated laundry

The employer supervises compliance with the rules regarding the processing of corona-contaminated laundry. Managers set a good example and hold employees accountable if they do not follow the rules.

• Rules and measures for textile cleaners

The flowchart drawn below can be used as a starting point. The chart is specified further following the different situations applicable at textile cleaners. Points of attention are listed below.

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[1] Dutch reference which are required by law

[2] Please see 1

[3] Depending on national legislation