Inspection Management Protocols

Inspection management protocols for Hygienically Clean certifications are under the auspices of an inspection program administrator and auditor to administer the inspection process and train inspectors.

This ensures expertise, consistency and impartiality for all applicant laundry companies and plants when inspectors verify their adherence to best management practices (BMPs).  It also adds a highly expert third party to oversee the inspection program. It aligns with ISO quality management system (QMS) standards for assessing laundry applicants’ quality assurance (QA) practices and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans.

Laundry Design Group, LLC, Las Vegas, Nev., recognized for excellence in evaluating businesses’ QA guideline compliance, is the inspection program administrator. Bob Corfield, the firm’s CEO, has over 30 years’ industry experience, including performing inspections for Hygienically Clean. Corfield is a certified ISO QMS Lead Auditor with a HACCP designation.

As chief inspector and program administrator, Corfield identifies, administers and trains the independent inspector team. Each inspector enters a comprehensive training program including certification standards review, evidence collection procedures, interview protocol, ATP (work surface) testing, technology use, HACCP compliance and sample collection procedures. Training also focuses on educating inspectors regarding acceptable approaches launderers can take to implement BMPs.  Each inspector must agree to a code of ethics including confidentiality and conflict of interest statements.

The inspection program is deployed on an iPad application that all inspectors must use for note-taking, evidence collection, and inspection scoring. This creates consistency from inspection to inspection and inspector to inspector. Inspectors’ reports are disseminated within hours of each inspection for lead audit review and discussion if required.

Following initial training, each inspector is subject to a competency review by a third party ISO certified lead auditor (Enveratek, Calgary, Alberta, Canada).  Enveratek confirms the inspector’s knowledge of standards and procedures in alignment with ISO QMS audit protocols and suggests corrective training if needed.

The inspection program is reviewed twice per year to assure protocol and program compliance. These reviews are presented to Hygienically Clean program leaders to strengthen the competency of the inspectors and the inspection program.

Tight inspection management protocols reflect the certifications’ commitment to continuous improvement, also evidenced by Hygienically Clean advisory boards’ and user groups’ examination of the development of new laundry and textile technologies to incorporate in standards.