Please see our latest published Laundry Cost Index for 2024/2025 FYQ2 below:
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09 October 2024
Matthew Kerry Director of Servisure Ltd, part of the Isa Lea Group, based in Buckley, Wales has taken a meaningful step to support the people of Ukraine by assembling a vital care package. This package includes high-visibility workwear specifically designed for search and rescue operations, ensuring that those on the front lines can perform their duties safely and effectively.
In addition to the high-visibility gear, the care package also contains a range of polo shirts, sweatshirts, and other essential garments intended for both civilian use and members of the armed forces. These items aim to provide comfort, functionality, and a sense of normalcy amidst challenging circumstances.
“At Servisure, we believe in standing in solidarity with those affected by conflict and crisis. Our contribution reflects our commitment to supporting humanitarian efforts and providing practical assistance wherever possible. Servisure’s Support for Ukraine: Delivering Essential Gear for Search and Rescue Operations.”
Get easy access to supplier-specific H&S documents
The Textile Services Association (TSA) has launched the Supplier Document Portal on its website, a useful and functional platform that can enhance a contractor management process within laundries. The document portal aims to provide its members with access to the health and safety documents required to complete a work contract, especially when a supplier needs to attend a laundry site in person. This launch is part of the TSA’s mission to provide laundry and supply members with tools and resources to make their operations as safe and effective as possible.
TSA’s H&S Steering Group together with Shyju Skariah, Director of TSA’s Technical Programmes facilitated contractor management training from a H&S perspective earlier this year. The expert group recommended the bespoke development of the document portal to ease the repetitive administrative burden on both laundries and suppliers.
The Portal is simple to use. Suppliers can sign up and then upload essential documents to their profiles. A link can then be sent to a laundry allowing them to download the first documents they’ll need. This will then allow the suppliers to identify more specific follow-ups required, based on the initial responses. This helps to reduce the administrative burden and streamlines these complex processes.
As regulations and legislation change regularly, the platform also allows users to raise a query about any document on a supplier’s profile. The query will be sent to the supplier allowing them to address it, and update the document if required.
“Agreeing a new contract between two companies can be a time-consuming process,” says David Stevens, CEO of the TSA. “Our new Supplier Document Portal takes the guesswork out of whether you’ve got all the documents you need to get things off on the right foot. We know it’s going to be a useful resource for the laundry industry and its partner companies.”
The Supplier Document Portal is available for both laundry and supplier members of the TSA, but non-member suppliers can sign up to use it for an annual fee. The Portal can be accessed at supplierportal.tsa-uk.org
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone:
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The scheme is designed to accredit businesses for their responsible and innovative practices in sustainable handling of textiles products throughout its life cycle. As much as it is geared for the current challenges in the industry, it is equally a forward looking solution for the way things are developing in this sector.
If you are a laundry, recycler or hotel interested in the scheme, please click below for all the information:
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone:
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Association will also lobby alongside UKHospitality and the CBI
The TSA (Textile Services Association) says it has a series of key questions for the Labour government to answer, and is to lobby the new influx of MPs. The Association is calling on the government to focus on sustainability, particularly in two key areas: healthcare, where it says the UK can save £millions by switching to reusable PPE, and recycling, where government action could help the TSA’s initiative to stop thousands of tonnes of hospitality linens ending up in landfill each year.
Then there’s the fundamental need for help as the commercial laundry industry transitions to carbon net zero, and the TSA is also raising the question of labour shortages and apprenticeship levy fund spending. In a more targeted area, the Association is looking to government to help promote the understanding of safer laundry practices within the social care sector.
In recent years the TSA, via its Lobbying Steering Group, has had significant success with raising the profile of the laundry industry and engaging with both MPs and government officials. But the TSA’s CEO, David Stevens, says there can be no complacency. “We have to keep pushing at the door,” he says. “For too long we were overlooked – as was underlined during the lockdowns. We need to continue to increase the awareness of the importance of our industry to UK Plc. A successful laundry industry can help the Government achieve its aspirations for economic growth.”
Nor is the TSA a lone voice. “We will continue to work alongside our partners, such as UKHospitality and the CBI, to strengthen our lobbying message,” says Stevens. “We have a very close relationship with UKHospitality and will be coordinating efforts in areas such as the apprenticeship levy, where we are keen to see the funds being allowed to be spent on different types of training. We will also be contributing to the CBI’s campaigns on the future of work and skills and their drive for progress on energy and climate change.”
The TSA is calling on its members to reach out to their local MP and invite them to their laundries. “This proved to be a very successful initiative last year, resulting in several meetings with MPs, questions in the house and cross party discussions, “ says Stevens. “MPs learnt about the work we do and the support we need, and were happy to take up our cause. We need to ensure the 355 new MPs are equally well informed!”
To help laundries initiate contact with their MP, the TSA has put together a template invitation. The Lobbying Steering Group has also issued three tips for members engaging in the effort:
The template is available on request from the TSA.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone:
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Latest UKHospitality and TSA meeting underlines carbon zero agenda
The relationship between UKHospitality and the Textile Services Association, which represents commercial laundries, is becoming even closer, as the latest meeting between the two associations agreed a number of sustainability targets and action points.
The Round Table events started after the pandemic, with the lockdowns emphasising just how much the hospitality and laundry industries depend on each other. The latest event took place in London on 31st July at Regus, Golden Cross House, WC2. Attendees included representatives from major hospitality organisations such as Accor, Center Parcs, Fraser Hospitality, Hilton, IHG, Premier Inn and Travelodge. Mark Chapman, founder and CEO of the Zero Carbon Forum, also attended.
Discussions centred around both UKHospitality’s and the commercial laundry industry’s sustainability roadmap. The TSA’s presentation on its plan for a carbon calculator for laundry was greeted enthusiastically, with attendees keen to be represented in the technical groups that will contribute to making the data more bespoke for both industries. On sustainable laundry procurement, the TSA and the Zero Carbon Forum plan to look into suitable tender questions for the forum to display.
Other plans include a TSA-hosted webinar for housekeepers on linen loss, talking about how to educate staff on the importance of looking after textiles. This follows the success of the TSA’s training initiative based around its ‘Pasha the Pillowcase’ animations. The TSA’s ‘Infinite Textiles’ scheme, which not only focuses on recycling and reusing end of primary use of linens but also on extending the life of the linen and reducing loss. The accreditation scheme was welcomed by the hotel brands as a method of recognising those laundries who are making the commitment to textile circularity.
Other topics included the removal of single use plastics from the laundry process, which is a major joint objective for UKH and the TSA. The meeting also discussed potential future ‘greener’ textiles, which may include fibres made from bamboo; and agreed to work together on a textile working group. The TSA also agreed to produce a statement underlining that hospitality laundry does not create a significant microplastic issue.
The next UKHospitality TSA Round Table is on 24th September at the NEC Crown Plaza.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone:
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Two days of discussion and networking aimed at helping the laundry industry work smarter
The Textile Services Association (TSA) is returning to the Hilton at St Georges Park in Burton-upon-Trent for its Autumn Conference. The event is designed to give management teams the chance to meet and discuss the biggest issues and latest news affecting the laundry industry.
The Conference will take place on 16th-17th October and will feature a range of workshops and sessions with the team from the TSA alongside experts giving insight on a wide range of vital topics. These topics were selected based on the results of a survey of TSA members aimed at learning the areas they wished to see discussed, to help make the conference as relevant as possible.
Sessions include NHS England Net Zero explaining how to ensure you can deliver a fully compliant tender for an NHS contract; as well as a session from Heather Grant, Principal Employment Law Adviser from Worknest, providing information about current and upcoming HR and employment law.
Other sessions will look at areas like fire prevention in laundries, recycling workwear garments, and measuring your microplastics footprint.
Attendees will also be treated to keynote addresses from inspirational speakers. The first to be announced is British Touring Car Championship driver Nicolas Hamilton, half brother of Lewis Hamilton, who will explain lessons he has learned from his career as the first disabled athlete to compete in the championship. He’ll talk about his determination not to let his cerebral palsy limit him, and the importance of ambition and teamwork in achieving your goals.
As well as this, an industry dinner will be held on the night of the 16th October offering a chance to reconnect with colleagues across the industry in a more informal manner.
“The Autumn conference is a great way for management and leadership within the laundry industry to get together, build relationships and engage with the challenges and opportunities we’re currently grappling with,” says David Stevens, CEO of the TSA. “By working together we can help each other grow and develop.”
The Conference looks set to be as popular as in previous years, and with limited spaces, booking early is the best way to avoid disappointment.
Tickets for the conference are £140+VAT, with an additional £50+VAT if you wish to attend the dinner. Hotel rooms can be booked for £125+VAT. For more information and to book spaces, download and complete the booking form from the events section at tsa-uk.org and send it to events@tsa-uk.org.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone:
T +44 (0) 20 3151 5600
Please see our latest published Laundry Cost Index for 2024/2025 FYQ1 below:
If you have any queries or would like any further information, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
T: +44 (0)20 3151 5600
E: tsa@tsa-uk.org
New testing protocols will help to guarantee effectiveness of infection controls in healthcare laundry
The Textile Services Association (TSA) recently presented a new standardised test protocol for evaluating the disinfection efficacy of laundry wash processes at its spring conference. This marks the latest stage in the ongoing partnership between the TSA and De Montfort University (DMU). The research aims to provide accurate information and usable methods of ensuring hygienic cleaning of textiles, particularly in relation to sectors more vulnerable to infection, such as healthcare.
The new protocols were developed following a four-year research project led by Professor Katie Laird at DMU, which was funded and supported by the TSA and other national associations from Europe and America. Professor Laird and her team have extensive experience in studying healthcare textiles and have previously investigated the survival of microorganisms on textiles and specific wash processes required to decontaminate laundry, among other topics.
The importance of creating an effective standardised test for evaluating hygienic cleaning is something that Simon Fry, owner of specialist laundry firm Micronclean Ltd and a TSA board member, has been focussing on since joining the TSA over eight years ago. “The idea for this project came about when manufacturers began introducing chemicals for cold washing,” he says. “While it’s a great idea in terms of energy saving, it can introduce risks in terms of less effective disinfection, which is compounded if the traditional tests being used weren’t giving accurate results.”
“You could almost pick the test to get the results you wanted,” says Simon. “I realised that we would need something that accurately showed the kill rates of bacteria, which could be used by all stakeholders to deliver data that allows everyone to work on a level playing field.”
The TSA reached out to Professor Laird and began funding research with the aim of creating standardised testing protocols that definitively measure how many pathogens are killed by laundry washing processes.
In order to achieve this the DMU team needed to study existing infection controls and the current processing methods for healthcare laundry. They also needed to understand the attitudes and knowledge of healthcare staff in terms of infection control policies and how these apply to textiles. Alongside funding the research, the TSA also organised surveys of both its members in the UK as well as overseas to help build a clearer understanding of the landscape.
The test developed by Professor Laird and her team accurately demonstrates the disinfection efficacy of laundry during a wash processes in a way that can be used throughout the healthcare sector, whether it is in outsourced laundries or on-premise laundries. The test involves placing a sample of inoculated fabric within a membrane, which looks similar to a teabag that allows water and chemicals through but stops bacteria from escaping, meaning that the effectiveness of the decontamination of the laundry process can be properly evaluated. This allows for a like-for-like comparison of different washing methods and equipment types, and how effectively they kill bacteria present on textiles, helping to ensure that infection control standards are maintained.
“Being able to measure disinfection accurately within a working laundry is paramount in managing textiles as a transmission route for infections, particularly in healthcare settings”, Professor Laird
“The publishing of these test protocols is an important milestone in our ongoing research collaboration,” says David Stevens, CEO of the TSA. “The next phase we will see the test methodology incorporated within best practice standards driven by the other national associations, this will include working with the TRSA in America and ETSA in Europe.”
Professor Laird’s team will continue their research into improving hygiene in laundry, focussing on spores that aren’t killed thermally and biofilms that form inside laundry equipment.
For more information on the new testing protocols, visit tsa-uk.org
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