TRSA Announces Plans for Certification Programs

The TRSA Board of Directors and Strategic Planning Committee have identified enhancement of the Hygienically Clean and Clean Green certification programs as a priority initiative over the next three years. Addressing increased demand for these and potential new certifications, efforts will be made to streamline and improve administration and inspection processes to increase their efficiency and rigor, better reflecting industry best practices.

In line with a TRSA Strategic Planning Committee recommendation, initial steps include:

• Developing a new digital Certification Portal to assist in tracking certification processes, providing increased transparency and communications. The portal will facilitate, for example, automated reminders to certified laundries such as noting due dates for submissions of textile samples for microbiological testing.
• Codifying the recently revised Hygienically Clean Standard by the Hygienically Clean Advisory Board and Task Force, as well as the TRSA Board of Directors, which clarifies best practices and tightens inspection/audit procedures.
• Recruiting and training inspectors/auditors.
• Developing a new inspector/auditor training program and protocols.

To accomplish these and other objectives for the Hygienically Clean and Clean Green certification programs, TRSA will internalize recruiting, training, management and scheduling of inspectors/auditors. Accomplishing the transition will involve:

• Identifying, recruiting and training new regional inspectors for the estimated annual 120 inspections/audits for Hygienically Clean (Healthcare, Food Safety, Food Service and Hospitality) and Clean Green.
• Hiring/contracting a certification inspection manager to assist with scheduling, reporting, and inspector training and development.

TRSA anticipates that more than 300 linen, uniform and facility services locations could be Hygienically Clean certified by year-end 2024. Currently, more than 150 have the Healthcare designation with roughly 10% more applying; more than 70 have Food Safety, with 20% more applying. Clean Green, a companywide certification, is maintained by 34 companies with 97 locations.

“We want to thank and recognize the contributions of Bob Corfield and the LDG team for their support in the development and growth of the programs,” said TRSA President & CEO Joseph Ricci. “The TRSA certification programs would not be the recognized industry leader without the dedication of the LDG team.”

Anyone interested in becoming a TRSA Certification Inspector/Auditor, please contact Samlane Ketevong at sketevong@trsa.org.