Improved laundry services in Berendsen

Background

Berendsen is the market leader in laundry services in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Berendsen also has a leading position in the Netherlands and a strong position in German hospitals and the nursing home market. Berendsen is part of The Davis Service Group Plc, a leading UK-based provider of support services.

Sorting of laundry sacks weighing up to 35 kg (77.8 lb). Frequent lifts from below knee to above shoulder level.

Berendsen had following issues, requiring solutions:
Operators had difficulties lifting heavy sacks and they had repetitive strain injuries. Also, different types of injuries were caused by concealed foreign objects within the laundry sacks e.g. knives, razorblades and needles. In addition, other material contaminated with body fluids could be hazardous to health through contact.

Solution

Vaculex® TL was installed to help the operators with the laundry process.

Result

After installing the first Vaculex® TL in 1999 in Sweden, Berendsen, have now installed Vaculex® TL in Sweden, Norway and The Netherlands. With Vaculex® TL the workers can easily empty the sack which is suspended from a rope, instead of pulling the laundry out of the sack. The benefits are obvious: minimum risk of repetitive strain and cut injuries, less danger of infection, higher productivity, extremely low service cost, very small energy consumption and user friendly.

Magnus Arnedal, Operations Manager at Berendsen, Sweden: “Berendsen have tried different lifting aids for laundry sack handling before, with varying results. Vaculex® TL is the first lifting aid that is used spontaneously by the staff and that is the best grade you can get. After two years usage of the lifting systems we are very satisfied and can really recommend Vaculex® TL”.