On June 15, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced surprising new per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) drinking water health advisory levels. These new levels are significantly lower than current levels, even current laboratory detection limits.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced a National Emphasis Program (NEP) focused on heat hazards, effective April 8. Under the NEP, OSHA will be conducting proactive inspections for heat-related hazards – in both outdoor and indoor work environments. It thus behooves employers to ensure they have implemented appropriate safety measures to protect employees from such hazards before potentially coming under OSHA’s attention.

A recent TRSA Town Hall in Chicago examined priorities for mobilizing the industry on government advocacy issues and promoting linen, uniform and facility services as employers. The discussion on May 16 gave executives from local companies an easily accessible, in-person forum to learn about TRSA’s latest activities on these issues and share information on their efforts to deal with them.

TRSA conducted its first-ever Fleet Summit May 9-10 in Long Beach, CA, alongside the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, where fleet operators from a wide variety of industries reviewed the latest zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) and associated technologies. There’s heavy pressure on such operators in California, where mandates go into effect in three years. No matter where you operate, however, this pressure is building, and in the U.S., the federal Clean Air Act (CAA) is bringing the heat.

TRSA recently led a delegation of linen, uniform and facility services industry executives to the New York State Capitol in Albany for an impactful afternoon of meetings with key legislators and members of their staff during the New York State Legislative Conference.

In the next few days, the May issue of Textile Services will arrive in laundry operator in-boxes and homes. A key topic for this month’s issue concerns the upcoming Clean Show and what new tax breaks or restrictions the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has implemented since the 2019 show in New Orleans. Last year’s Clean Show was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

From coast to coast, TRSA is hosting a series of in-person events in May, ranging from a state legislative conference in Albany, NY, to a pair of regional town halls in Chicago and Long Beach, CA, plus several summits focused on issues such as fleet vehicles, human resources and safety.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is working on a new heat standard to target indoor workers without climate-controlled environments, including the linen, uniform and facility services industry.

Highlighting rare acts of exceptional internal and external customer service and saluting exemplary efforts to achieve workplace safety are on the agenda for TRSA’s Legislative Conference March 30 in Washington, DC, when TRSA Industry Awards will be presented for outstanding performance in these disciplines.

Global manufacturer Milliken & Co., Spartanburg, SC, recently announced a commitment to eliminate all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, from the company’s textile finishes and fibers portfolio, according to a news release.