Commercial laundry operative / Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education

Key information

Status: Approved for delivery (available for starts)
Reference: ST0604
Version: 1.1
Level: 2
Minimum duration to gateway: 12 months
Typical EPA period: 3 months
Maximum funding: £6000
Route: Engineering and manufacturing
Date updated: 24/10/2022
Approved for delivery: 22 June 2018
Lars code: 296
EQA provider: Ofqual
Example progression routes:
- Team leader or supervisor
Review: this apprenticeship will be reviewed in accordance with our change request policy.

Occupation summary
Typical job titles
Occupation duties
Knowledge
Skills
Behaviours
Qualifications
Version log

Details of the occupational standard

Occupation summary

Commercial laundry operatives work in the commercial laundry service industry.

Commercial laundries provide laundry services and often product rental to a wide range of sectors in the UK. This includes workwear for manufacturing, industrial, food, transport and pharmaceutical sectors. And linen for hospitality, catering, hotel, hospital, and care sectors.

Commercial laundry operatives conduct laundry processes in line with product and customer requirements. They classify incoming textile products for laundry processing, complete cleaning processes, dry and finish products, and prepare them for customers. The industry increasingly uses a high level of technology, which operatives use. They also contribute to quality assurance and maintaining the workplace environment.

They work with other operatives, team leaders and managers. They will also have contact with colleagues from other business functions such as transport and maintenance. They typically report to a shift manager, team leader, or supervisor.

They are responsible for meeting work schedules. They must work to quality, health and safety, and environment regulations and procedures.

They work as part of a team, under supervision.

Typical job titles include:

Garment cleaner General laundry operative Laundry operative Production operative

Occupation duties

Duty	KSBs
Duty 1 Process incoming textile products for example, workwear, table cloths, sheets, and towels. Classify textile products for appropriate laundry process.	K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 K8 K16 K21 K23 K24 K25 K26 S1 S2 S3 S4 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S15 S16 S18 B1 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7
Duty 2 Complete textile products cleaning processes following standard operating procedures (SOPs) using equipment for example, batch washing machines and presses steamers.	K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K21 K23 K24 K25 K26 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S9 S10 S15 S16 S18 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7
Duty 3 Dry and finish textile products.	K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 K8 K10 K16 K21 K23 K24 K25 K26 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S9 S10 S15 S16 S18 B1 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7
Duty 4 Contribute to quality assurance.	K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 K20 K24 K25 K26 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S11 S13 S15 S16 S18 B1 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7
Duty 5 Rectify basic laundry process faults for example, product mis-feed.	K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 K8 K19 K24 K25 K26 S1 S3 S4 S5 S7 S9 S10 S13 S15 S16 S18 B1 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7
Duty 6 Prepare textile products for customer delivery.	K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 K8 K21 K24 K25 K26 S1 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S10 S12 S15 S16 S18 B1 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7
Duty 7 Maintain laundry documentation.	K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 K21 K22 K24 K25 K26 K27 S1 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 B1 B3 B4 B5 B7
Duty 8 Contribute to maintaining the workplace environment (housekeeping) including recycling and safe disposal of waste in line with environmental standards.	K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K23 K24 K25 K26 S1 S3 S4 S5 S7 S15 S16 S18 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B7

KSBs

Knowledge

K1: The commercial laundry sector: background, services provided, and future trends. Customer service expectations in different sectors. Back to Duty

K2: The commercial laundry operative role and responsibilities. Limits of autonomy. Back to Duty

K3: Awareness of health and safety regulations, standards, and guidance and impact on role. Confined spaces. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (CoSHH). Fire safety (dust and lint control). Health and Safety at Work Act. Slips, trips, and falls. Working in confined spaces. Working at height Back to Duty

K4: Safe systems of work. Risk assessment and hazard identification in the work area. Isolation and emergency stop procedures. Manual handling. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Situational awareness. Back to Duty

K5: Impact of the sector processes on the environment. Efficient use of resources. Recycling, re-use and the safe disposal of waste. Back to Duty

K6: Awareness of quality standards and impact on role: ISO 9001 Quality Management, ISO 14001 Environmental Management, and ISO 18001 Health and Safety. Back to Duty

K7: Work procedures. What they are and why they are important. Back to Duty

K8: Machinery and equipment used in commercial laundries: batch washing machines, wash extractors, dryers, towel folders, ironers, and calenders. Purpose and operation. Back to Duty

K9: The chemistry and mechanical function behind the cleaning process to produce a quality product: stain removal, creasing, colour loss, greying and yellowing; impact on different fabric types. Back to Duty

K10: Finishing processes and how they impact on finished product quality and on different fabric types. Back to Duty

K11: Healthcare sector. Decontamination in laundering quality standards: Risk and Bio-Contamination in the Laundry Environment (British Standard European Norm BS EN 14065), Decontamination of Linen in health and social care (Health Technical Memorandum HTM 01-04), and BS EN 13795. Surgical drapes, gowns and clean air suits used as medical devices for patients, clinical staff, and equipment. Back to Duty

K12: Food sector. Risk and Bio-Contamination Control (RABC). Processes required to remove foreign bodies and risk of biological cross-contamination. Back to Duty

K13: Workwear performance standards of garments: ISO 20471 High Visibility, ISO 11612 Protection against Heat and Flame, ISO 11611 Protection against welding and allied processes, and BS EN 13034 Protective clothing against liquid chemicals. Back to Duty

K14: Clean room: control measures for product and people exposure and BS EN 13795. Back to Duty

K15: Continuous Batch Washer (CBW) and Continuous Tunnel Washer (CTW) health and safety. The Textile Services Association (TSA) code of practice on the safe access and entry to a CBW and CTW. Back to Duty

K16: International care label symbols, garment labelling, and different types of fibres and fabrics for professional industrial cleaning. Back to Duty

K17: Types of dry-cleaning solvents and their safe handling, standards for use, storage, and disposal. Back to Duty

K18: Stain classification. Removal techniques for different stains. Back to Duty

K19: Escalation procedures for breakdowns, maintenance, stoppages, and failure. The impact of issues on production. Back to Duty

K20: Basic continuous improvement processes. Back to Duty

K21: Digital technology in the industry: stock management information systems, and equipment digital interfaces. Back to Duty

K22: Information technology: virtual learning platforms, email. General data protection regulation (GDPR). Cyber security. Back to Duty

K23: Performance targets. Work organisation and time management techniques. Back to Duty

K24: Communication techniques: verbal and written. Back to Duty

K25: Principles of good team working. Back to Duty

K26: Equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. Back to Duty

K27: Documentation requirements for the role. Back to Duty

Skills

S1: Follow work instructions - verbal or written. Back to Duty

S2: Organise and prioritise work. Back to Duty

S3: Follow health and safety procedures in line with regulations, standards, and guidance. Back to Duty

S4: Follow procedures in line with environmental and sustainability regulations, standards, and guidance. Back to Duty

S5: Identify and segregate resources for reuse, recycling, and disposal. Back to Duty

S6: Comply with laundry industry regulations, standards, and guidance. Back to Duty

S7: Follow work procedures. Back to Duty

S8: Sort, classify and identify products for processing either manually or via operating equipment. Identify any special cleaning processes for example, stain removal. Back to Duty

S9: Check equipment and machinery. Back to Duty

S10: Operate equipment and machinery to process textile products for example, batch washing machines, wash extractors, dryers, towel folders, ironers, and calenders. Back to Duty

S11: Conduct quality checks for example, identify any rejects or rewash, inspect items for damage. Back to Duty

S12: Sort and pack items. Back to Duty

S13: Identify production issues for example, product mis-feed, machinery issues, or product flow issues. Resolve or escalate issues in line with procedures. Escalate maintenance requirements. Back to Duty

S14: Use information technology. Back to Duty

S15: Communicate with others for example, internal and external customers, colleagues, and managers. Back to Duty

S16: Apply team working principles. Back to Duty

S17: Record task information (text or data) - paper based or electronic. Back to Duty

S18: Carry out and record learning and development activities. Back to Duty

Behaviours

B1: Put health and safety first. Back to Duty

B2: Consider the environment when using resources and carrying out processes. Back to Duty

B3: Take ownership of given work. Back to Duty

B4: Team-focus to meet work goals. Back to Duty

B5: Support an inclusive workplace for example, respectful of different views. Back to Duty

B6: Adapt to changing work requests. Back to Duty

B7: Seek learning and development opportunities. Back to Duty

Qualifications

English and Maths

English and maths qualifications form a mandatory part of all apprenticeships and must be completed before an apprentice can pass through gateway. The requirements are detailed in the current version of the apprenticeship funding rules.

End-point assessment (EPA plan)

Rigorous robust and independent assessment undertaken by an apprentice at the end of training to test that the apprentice can perform in the occupation they have been trained in and can demonstrate the duties, and knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) set out in the occupational standard

End-point assessment organisation (EPAO)

An organisation approved to deliver end-point assessment for a particular apprenticeship standard. EPAOs must be on the register of end-point assessment organisations

Holistic or synoptic

Assessment of an apprentice’s knowledge, skills and behaviours in an integrated way i.e. assessing several KSBs at the same time

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSB)

What is needed to competently undertake the duties required for an occupational standard

Valid

Referred to in relation to assessment methods; fit for purpose

Change request policy

Most changes to an apprenticeship are made as a result of a holistic review of it. We prioritise the need for such reviews based on a range of factors. These include:

the time since the apprenticeship was developed or last reviewed (taking account of its typical duration)
the existence of any known problems with it (e.g. lower than expected starts, low achievement rate, high withdrawal rate, any issues with the availability of training or end-point assessment provision)
whether the apprenticeship is currently subject to a dispensation
the relative significance of the apprenticeship based on how many users it has

The availability of an employer group to support a review and its potential impact on any related technical education product also inform the timing of a review.

Details of apprenticeships that are currently being revised or adjusted are available in our revisions and adjustments status report.

Find an apprenticeship

Employers involved in creating the standard: Aspley Workwear, Bates of London, Berendsen, Central Laundry, Crystal Laundry, Imperial Laundry, Johnson Service Group, Laundry World, Micronclean, NHS Salisbury, Royal Jersey, Swiss Camplings Group, Total Laundry

Version log

Version	Change detail	Earliest start date	Latest start date
1.1	standard, funding band and end-point assessment plan revised	22/10/2022	Not set
1.0	Approved for delivery	22/06/2018	21/10/2022

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Commercial laundry operative