Laundry Machine Operator - Sewing

Laundry Machine Operator This position is located within the Textile Care Plant of the Environmental Management Service at the St. Cloud VA Health Care System in St. Cloud, MN. The Laundry Machine Operator processes a variety of soiled linens and textiles into clean and sanitary items for reuse by customers and is also responsible for repairing torn and tattered apparel. This also includes altering and repairing linens.Responsibilities include:Provides secondary support to the uniform distribution care for the Sewing and Uniform Issue RoomPerforms tacking/pinning on regular and special itemsDetermines repair versus salvage and records salvaged itemsIssues, alters, repairs, and replaces uniforms and scrubsOperates five washer/extractors 100-600 pounds simultaneouslyOperates commercial dryers 100-400 pounds, garment finishers, and flatwork ironersLoads/unloads machines and feeds damp linen manually or with spreading devicesLoading machines to rated capacity and selecting proper wash formulas based on textile @type and soil levelInspects wet linen for knots, damage, and stains; shaking out items before finishingPerforms stain removal using specialty chemicals and spotting proceduresCleans and waxes flatwork ironer, replaces ribbons, and makes minor equipment adjustments as authorizedMaintains written records of productivity, chemical usage, and incoming weightsTrains other operators on machine operation, wash formulas, and proper proceduresAssists in linen distribution and production areas as neededPerforms other duties as neededWork Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pmRequirements:You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this jobSelective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959Pre-employment physical requiredSubject to background/security investigationSelected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding processAcceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirementsEffective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employmentParticipation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal serviceQualifications:Physical Effort: The employee needs strength and stamina for performing heavy tasks for long periods of time. Must pull wet, compact laundry from washers/extractors and push heavily loaded carts, etc. Continually handles bundles that may weigh in excess of 50 pounds. Continually walks and stands on hard surfaced floors. Operators sit or stand for long periods of time with continual movement of arms and hands while performing sewing tasks, mending, hemming, and patching of a wide variety of linen items. They may also have to lift boxes of new items up to 20-30 pounds and pushes small carts on a daily basis filled with linen. The employee will be required to reach overhead when hanging uniforms, scrubs, and lab coats on the conveyer systems. They will also assist in the hanging of scrubs, folding of dry fold and various other duties if needed in the Laundry Department. They will be responsible for the sorting of the mending bins and then will repair or discard the linen that cannot be mended.Work Conditions: The employee is exposed to disagreeable odors and possibly infectious organisms from soiled linens, patient clothing, and employee uniforms. These conditions are separated from the clean processing and production of the textile care work force by a staph barrier wall. The employee is exposed to noise and hot and humid conditions. The employee is exposed to the possibility of cuts and bruises from carts and machinery as well as minor burns from the presence of steam pipes and the flatwork-ironer. The employee may be subjected to inclement weather while performing the duties of the position. Often the areas are subject to drafts and cool air from open doors and noise from the generator room when the monthly testing is done. The employee is interrupted on a constant basis by hospital staff in need of their assistance with uniforms, scrubs, lab coats, jackets, etc. Operators are subject to possible needle punctures, minor thread cuts, and sharp cutting instruments i.e. scissors and rotary cutters. There is also the possibility of getting minor burns from thermo patch machine or iron.Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualifications. For this position, the job element method is used to match what you, the applicant, can do against what the work calls for. Your knowledge, skills and abilities will be compared to the knowledge, skills and abilities (called job elements) needed for success. Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element (WG-2 and higher only; screen-outs are not applicable to WG-1). Applicants who appear to meet the screen out element are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated from consideration. The potential eligibles are rated against the remainder of the job elements. While a specific length of training and experience is not required, your responses to the questionnaire must be supported by detailed descriptions of your experience on your resume. You will be rated on the following Job Elements as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading) Materials Measurement and Layout Technical Practices Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Without more than normal supervision Work Practices