The position is at the Department of Veterans Affairs at the Phoenix VA Health Care System (VAHCS) in the Environmental Management Service providing a wide range of health care services processing laundry. The Incumbent works in the Laundry Unit and is responsible for all linen orders being processed and distributed to the Phoenix VAHCS, Southern Arizona (Tucson) VAHCS, Northern Arizona (Prescott) VAHCS and their Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) and the handling of all soiled linen. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. EXPERIENCE: A specific length of training and experience is not required, but you must show evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality of your ability to do the work of this position. Evidence which demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position must be supported by detailed descriptions of such on your resume. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualification Standards. SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements: Without more than normal supervision Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. ["Perform tasks such as sorting, classifying, and weighing soiled linen; folding, counting, bundling, and stacking rough dry linen and special items: feeding linen into the flatwork ironer; receiving, counting and stacking ironed linen; and filling racks, baskets, or carts with clean linen items. Unload washed linen items from washer-extractor machines and transport washed linens either to the flatwork ironer or to the driers using a hoist and overhead monorail system. Load and unload driers utilizing overhead monorail and carts. Items such as washed clothes and pajamas will be paired, folded, counted, and stacked. Textile items such as linen bags and fitted bed sheets will be collected and consolidated into set quantities. Other small quantity piece-work involve cutting rags and processing pillow cases, dish towels, and pack towels. Each individual cart or basket will be covered to prevent contamination in transit. Carts will be tagged for proper destination. Carts will then be loaded onto trailers or truck (in a prescribed manner to conserve space) for a specified destination. Required to load laundry carts to transport both clean and soiled laundry to/from various location on campus. Launder specialty items; such as slings, cubicle curtains, bags, uniforms, scrubs, patient gowns, and table cloths separately for each facility. May work in various areas of the laundry plant doing different job tasks as required, which may include, sorting soiled linens, hand folding clean linens, running clean linens on a flatwork ironer, small piece folder, blanket folder, delivery of linens to patient areas and other duties as assigned. Responsible for full cleanliness and sanitation of work area and equipment. Performs small piece work or other jobs as assigned by supervisor. Participates in yearly linen inventories and performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Sunday through Saturday - 40 hours a week with a Rotating Schedule that may include weekends, holidays, days, evenings, and nights. Position Description Title/PD#: Laundry Worker/PD12045A Physical Requirements: As there are physical demands associated with the duties of this position, the incumbent must be in good general health and capable of enduring much standing, walking, lifting, pushing, and pulling. Incumbent is subjected to constant/sustained, bending, stooping, stretching, and walking. Incumbent is consistently involved in lifting bags weighing 40 to 50 pounds occasionally up to 100 pounds. Manually pushes linen carts weighing up to 500 pounds. Incumbent must use proper body mechanics when lifting heavy loads. Physically pushes linen carts. Coordinates hand and eye movement during the transportation of any linen cart used with the facility parameters. Work requires good coordination and good physical condition. Will be lifting stacks and bundles of linens constantly, weighing up to 30 pounds. Will be walking, stooping, and bending frequently. Assists with loading and unloading linen delivery trailer. Working Conditions: Incumbent must always be safety conscious, especially to pedestrians traffic when pushing or pulling carts. Incumbent follows all PVAHCS safety regulations. Incumbent pays attention to broken equipment, slippery floors, safety, and fire hazards. Incumbent immediately reports hazards and malfunctions to supervisor. Most of the work is performed indoors. Incumbent may be exposed to heat, noise, bacteria, and odors. There is a possibility of bodily injury through slipping on wet ramps when loading or unloading linen carts. Accuracy in delivering clean linen is required. Accuracy in delivering clean linen is required. Is subject to extremes of heat, humidity, noise and airborne lint. Works around moving carts. Must continually be safety conscious, exercising caution with working around machinery and slippery floors. When required to sort laundry from patients, must wear protective mask, gloves, and gown. There exists a potential for exposure to infectious diseases from patient areas while handling soiled laundry."]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.