An Independent Service Provider (ISP) for the fire industry, introduce their PPE Restoration, specializing in the inspection, cleaning, and repair of personal protective ensembles (PPE) and ensemble elements used for structural, proximity, wildland, technical rescue incidents, and emergency medical operations’ applications. The UL ISO 9001:2008 (10012885 QM08) registered, Nevada–based organization prides itself on always utilizing the latest technology to ensure it’s providing its firefighting customers the best possible service available.
When MarKen management was introduced to Xeros, a new polymer bead cleaning system that promises superior cleaning using 80% less water, 50% less energy, and 50% less chemicals, they were intrigued. An NFPA 1851-compliant system that is gentler on fabrics with superior stain removal abilities would be beneficial to servicing its customers. Additionally, the environmental benefits of the green solution fit nicely with this environmentally-conscious firm. MarKen PPE Restoration is the first ISP in the United States to be UL ISO 9001:2008 registered.
Exposure Risks of Soiled PPE
There are extreme risks associated with firefighting; improper care and inadequate maintenance of firefighters’ PPE can add significantly to those risks. Today’s modern PPE has technologically-advanced fibers, filaments, and composites that have been designed to provide unique performance properties that safeguard firefighters from dangerous and potentially life-threatening levels of heat and smoke. Firefighters’ PPE can be exposed to dangerous chemicals, biological pathogens, and other hazardous substances so they must be cleaned properly to ensure the health and safety of firefighters.
Soiled ensembles can pose a health risk to the first responder as smoke deposits and condensed residue can be trapped in fibers and remain until cleaned. And soiled turnout gear is less protective as it reflects less radiant heat and is more likely to ignite and conduct electricity. To ensure the health and safety of firefighters, OSHA has set regulations around PPE from the selection through to the retiring of elements worn by firefighters. NFPA 1851 establishes requirements for selection, care, and maintenance of PPE to reduce health and safety risks associated with improper maintenance, contamination, or damage.
PPE Restoration helps fire departments across the country maintain a high level of protection of its turnouts, maximizing their performance, safety, and life span. Prior to using Xeros to clean firefighters’ PPE, MarKen used another commercial laundry system which they found serviceable but very expensive. Xeros’ NFPA 1851-Compliant System Helps MarKen Extend the Life, Performance, and Safety of Firefighters’ PPE.
“The positive feedback from customers was immediate. They quickly noticed a difference in the texture, smell, and appearance of the fabrics. Remarkably, Xeros was able to remove stains that our other machine could not. Because the customers’ response was so affirming we purchased another machine and have now gone full force with Xeros. All of our customer orders are being cleaned with Xeros and we have had nothing but excellent feedback from our customers.” – Joey Beeman, MarKen Operations and Safety Manager
MarKen Delivers Superior Stain Removal
Once the team from MarKen became aware of the NFPA-compliant Xeros polymer bead cleaning system, they conducted initial testing of the system with two of their customers. MarKen split customer orders for several weeks, cleaning half with the Xeros system and half with the existing system.
MarKen Reduces Pre-Treating and Pre-Soaking While Prolonging the Life of PPE
Prior to using the Xeros system, MarKen needed to do extensive pre-soaking for elements with heavy soot and smoke; this would take 48 hours. Since installing the Xeros system MarKen has reduced pre-soaking by 80% which allows them to process turnout gear faster and reduce fire departments’ cleaning costs. Additionally, because the elements are not going through the pre-soaking process, they are able to prolong the life of the firefighters’ elements.
Revolutionary Polymer Bead Technology Reduces Water, Energy, and Chemicals
The Xeros system employs reusable polymer beads to clean textiles rather than the traditional method of using massive amounts of hot water. By combining the beads’ molecular structure with a proprietary detergent solution, dirt from soiled items is attracted and absorbed by the beads, delivering superior, cleaner results which are gentler to the earth and PPE elements. As the Xeros system does not require hot water to clean fabrics, MarKen has seen an 80% reduction in water consumption and a 50% reduction in energy usage. And because its proprietary detergent formula takes full advantage of the unique cleaning properties of the polymer beads, chemical usage is reduced by 50%.
Turnkey System that Simplifies the Wash Process
Xeros Sbeadycare is a fully-integrated, all-inclusive program that provides a stress-free solution to laundry. Xeros is a push button, turnkey solution that is easy to learn and simple to use. With Sbeadycare, Xeros customers receive the machine, installation, financing, chemicals, polymer laundry beads, service/maintenance, training, and warranties, as well as access to the proprietary laundry management technology, Sbeadycare CONNECT.
“The full service Xeros Sbeadycare made our transition to Xeros a breeze. The Xeros system is very straight forward and the training was amazing,” continued Beeman. “With Xeros, turnout gear comes out cleaner than with our previous wash process which included an extensive pre-soak. This is a testament to the performance of the Xeros system.”– Joey Beeman, MarKen Operations and Safety Manager
For more information on Xeros polymer cleaning visit www.xeroscleaning.com