Established in 1932, Hammond Care look after the wellbeing of over 2600 older people at over 20 locations in NSW with the help of over 2100 staff. They enjoy a hard earned reputation as one of Australia’s most innovative aged care organisations.
This respect for innovation means they are always on the lookout for new ways to be more efficient in their operations and recently led them to completely review their laundry systems once they heard about the potential benefits of using ozone in washing cycles.
Michael Cooney, Property Manager, instigated a trial of both a UV light system and a Corona discharge system; the two different ways ozone can be produced and introduced to a wash. After the thorough trial and full analysis of the results, the UV light system was the clear winner with the OTEK laundry system delivering superior results across all tests.
Michael was pleasantly surprised by just how much better the OTEK system performed.
“the results were truly impressive; so much so that I have made sure that all of the Residential Aged Care sites now have this system installed. The savings on utility costs and increased productivity have made a big difference to our bottom line, and at a time when margins are being squeezed and costs have to be managed tightly, this is more than welcome.”
With their Residential Aged Care Services experiencing rapid growth – 40% last year – it has been even more important to manage and reduce costs and to look for ways to be more efficient.
Installing the OTEK laundry system has not only delivered cost savings on energy bills but also means with decreased wash time, their existing laundries can handle more washes to cope with the growth. Reduced wash time, coupled with a lower chemical dosage also means extended linen life, reducing this capital outlay by up to 40% and this is achieved without any more need for fabric softener, a further saving.
To ensure an effective installation and ongoing performance Michael was keen for the OTEK team to schedule regular follow up visits. “Ozone Technologies helped us make the transition to the new system very smoothly with thorough training for all our laundry staff on the new equipment as well as in the revised laundry procedures and processes. I have absolute confidence in the new system and we have been delighted with the ongoing support from the OTEK team.
Since the initial installations, they have carried out routine bacteria testing, re-trained laundry staff as and when necessary and when Dean was in at the Horsley laundry recently, he even fixed a chemical dosage problem we were having, really going the extra mile for us.”
