Laundry Machine Operator

Summary

This position is located in the Laundry Section of Environmental Management, Facilities Management Service, Sheridan, WY VA Health Care System. The Laundry Machine Operator performs the full range of commercial laundry machine operating duties associated with processing textiles for the Sheridan VA Health Care System and supported VA facilities, including the Billings Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC).

Duties

Major duties include, but are not limited to: Receives soiled textiles delivered to the designated soiled-linen receiving area. Ensures contaminated textiles remain physically separated from clean textiles and clean-processing areas in accordance with established infection prevention and laundry procedures. Sorts and classifies soiled textiles according to fabric type, degree and type of soil, required treatment, washing characteristics, and established processing requirements. Weighs sorted textiles and maintains required production and load documentation. Operates multiple commercial/industrial washing machines, including three approximately 200- pound-capacity washers, one approximately 125-pound-capacity washer, and a smaller commercial washer. Selects appropriate wash formulas and programs based on textile composition, soil conditions, infection-control requirements, and processing needs. Changes chemical containers or supplies as required and follows applicable Safety Data Sheets (SDS), manufacturer's instructions, personal protective equipment requirements, and facility safety procedures. Provides instruction and technical assistance to other laundry employees, as assigned, regarding proper sorting and classification of textiles, equipment loading, machine operation, selection of established wash programs, safe chemical handling, and appropriate processing practices. Transfers processed textiles from washers to dryers and other finishing operations while maintaining required separation between soiled and clean laundry areas. Inspects processed textiles for cleanliness, stains, damage, excessive moisture, or other quality deficiencies and identifies items requiring reprocessing or removal from service. Assists with folding, stacking, sorting, and preparation of clean textiles for distribution. Loads clean-linen carts with the appropriate textiles and quantities while maintaining cleanliness and preventing contamination of processed linen. Maintains the washroom and assigned equipment areas in a clean, orderly, and sanitary condition. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00 am until 3:30 pm. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Qualifications

PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK CONDITIONS: The work requires sustained physical effort throughout the workday. The incumbent regularly stands and walks for extended periods on concrete or other hard surfaces and frequently bends, stoops, reaches, pushes, pulls, and performs repetitive hand and arm movements. The incumbent pushes and maneuvers heavy laundry carts; handles large quantities of dry and wet textiles; loads and unloads commercial washers and dryers; and pulls heavy wet textiles from processing equipment. The work regularly requires lifting, carrying, pushing, or otherwise handling linen bags, bundles, and loads weighing more than 50 pounds. Considerable strength and stamina are required to maintain production while performing repetitive material-handling tasks. Work is performed primarily in an industrial healthcare laundry environment. The incumbent is regularly exposed to high machinery noise levels, heat, humidity, lint, moisture, drafts, detergents, laundry chemicals, and wet floors. During soiled-linen operations, the incumbent handles textiles that may be contaminated with blood, bodily fluids, infectious organisms, bacteria, viruses, and other potentially hazardous material. Offensive odors may be encountered while receiving, sorting, and processing soiled textiles. The incumbent is subject to possible cuts, scrapes, bruises, strains, slips or falls on wet surfaces, and accidental punctures from improperly discarded sharps or other objects concealed in soiled linen. Required personal protective equipment is worn when performing soiled-linen processing and other tasks presenting biological, chemical, or physical hazards. PPE may include gloves, protective gowns or aprons, eye or face protection, and other equipment prescribed by facility policy, hazard assessment, or applicable Safety Data Sheets. The incumbent follows established procedures for infection prevention, hazard communication, chemical handling, machine safety, and response to potentially hazardous items discovered in laundry. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualifications. For this position, the job element method is used to match what you, the applicant, can do against what the work calls for. Your knowledge, skills and abilities will be compared to the knowledge, skills and abilities (called job elements) needed for success. Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element (WG-2 and higher only; screen-outs are not applicable to WG-1). Applicants who appear to meet the screen out element are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated from consideration. The potential eligibles are rated against the remainder of the job elements. While a specific length of training and experience is not required, your responses to the questionnaire must be supported by detailed descriptions of your experience on your resume. You will be rated on the following Job Elements as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Dexterity and Safety Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading) Materials Technical Practices Without more than normal supervision Work Practices IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.