Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic through mid-November, OSHA has issued 232 citations for coronavirus-related violations discovered during inspections. Those violations have total proposed penalties of $3,148,452. Be sure your facility isn't in violation of OSHA requirements, review OSHA FAQs, including questions about cloth face coverings.

Participants in the 2020 IMPACT Conference opening session walked away with a list of actionable ideas from four leading healthcare companies — Ascension Health, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Maine Medical Center and Vizient — about what they expect from laundries and linen distribution services. Professionals from these highly-respected institutions shared their experiences of the value of textile care services and key performance indicators (KPIs), including the metrics they deem essential, along with the practices they have instituted to improve laundry and linen services.

It's not too late to gain all the insights and knowledge from this year's IMPACT Conference. All session recordings from the 2020 IMPACT Conference are now available in the ALM store! You may purchase access to bundles or individual sessions. For those who were IMPACT attendees, you may still access the recordings through the IMPACT app.

Like most things in 2020, this year’s IMPACT Conference was a new adventure. Set in Colorado Springs, one of the most beautiful and adventure-loving areas of the U.S., it was also one of the most difficult ALM has ever produced. Canceling would obviously have been easier, but the encouragement to hold a hybrid event, both in-person and virtual, was overwhelming from across the industry.

The holidays are approaching, and ALM offices will be closed in observance during the following dates:

• December 24-25, 2020
• December 31, 2020-January 1, 2021

If you hold an ALM certification, be sure to submit proof of participation for the education programs you have completed over the past year. All certifications renew on a three-year cycle, so whether your term ends this year or in coming years, now is a great time to look through your records and make sure you are credited for the contact hours you’ve earned.

Check your certification renewal term date and the number of hours recorded on your account by visiting the ALM website, sign in, and review your profile. Details are available in our short Contact Hours instructional video.

If you need additional hours to maintain your certification, current opportunities include:

• Visit the ALM article library to read educational articles, then answer the quiz associated with each article to earn 1 contact hour for every successfully completed quiz.
• Visit the ALM Resource Library and watch recordings from past webinars. Please note, you must be signed in to access the resource library. To find the recordings easily, type “earn contact hours” in the search box. 
• Watch session recordings from the 2020 IMPACT Conference. If you previously registered to attend the conference either in person or virtually, you may access the recordings via the IMPACT app. If you did not previously register, you may purchase access to the sessions in the ALM Store.

And don’t forget, we provide credit for all education, regardless of the provider, including safety training, manufacturer training, and general office management training. Visit the Maintain Certification page to print a contact hour tracking form or submit proof of participation. Please note, annual required training, such as bloodborne pathogens, will only be credited once per renewal cycle.

Steve Schiff, previously director of laundry at The Broadmoor, is now general manager at the Goodwill Commercial Laundry in Colorado Springs. Schiff has been in the textile care industry for over 15 years.

Reino Linen Service, based in Gibsonburg, Ohio, announced the finalization of the private sale of the company on November 12, 2020. The family-owned company was sold by Leonard and Judy Reino to Reino Linen Service’s current president, Daniel Darr.